Alphabet of Fluff of the Fourth Kind
by Somewhat Sporadic
Summary: The fourth installment in the Alphabet of Fluff series. A short, fluffy chapter for each letter of the alphabet, featuring our favourite couple- Jisbon all the way! May be OOC at times and may be a little strange, but give it a go! x
1. A is for Afterwards

**A/N: Huzzah! It's my turn again! I have no idea how I'm gonna follow on from such a fabulous version from Salt! :O I'll give it my best shot though. ;D Without further ado, I give you Alphabet of fluff of the Fourth kind! Enjoy xx**

**Disclaimer: Nope. Nada. Nicht. End of. *Sob…***

A is for Afterwards

"Hey, Lisbon!" He swept into the office.

"Hey, Jane." She looked up and smiled.

"Sleep well?" he asked as he perched on the edge of her couch. He fluffed up a cushion behind him.

"Yes thanks. You?" She put her pen down so she could look at him and stare with a certain longing and content in her eyes.

"Meh, so-so."

"Ah, OK." He caught her awkward shuffle as she glanced down at her desk.

"Lisbon?"

"Yes, Jane?" She looked up, a little too quickly. She blushed.

"Can I have a good morning kiss?"

"What? No! We're in the middle of a case!" Oh, how she'd wanted to say yes! But she was determined to keep her dignity and respect intact.

"Pleeeeeaaaase?"

"Afterwards."

"I'll hold you to it."

_Later that day…_

She grabbed the suspect's hands and clamped the cuffs around his wrists tightly. Cho took him away and bundled the man into the SUV. Jane walked up behind Lisbon and wrapped his arms around her small waist.

"Can I have my kiss now?"

"No!" she squeaked as she squirmed to get free, giggling like a school girl.

"But _Lisboooon!" _he whined. "You promised!"

"Afterwards!"

"You said that earlier…" He pouted.

"I meant after all this. We can't do anything at work! You know that."

"Come on! Just a teensy little kiss?" He looked at her with puppy dog eyes.

"Afterwards!" she repeated, and she watched him walk off with a satisfied look.

_That evening…_

"Oh my God, I'm full!" exclaimed Van Pelt as she closed the pizza box on the table. Everyone groaned in agreement. Jane, who was purposefully sitting next to Lisbon, leant over and whispered in her ear.

"Now?"

"Later. I promise." She heard him huff in disappointment and grinned. "You're just gonna have to be patient for once!"

"But you keep saying 'afterwards' or 'later'! We've been together three weeks and we've only kissed _once! _What kind of relationship is that?"

"Hey, we both agreed on a slow and easy relationship. Just remember; patience is a virtue."

Now he was intrigued. "So, you mean you—"

"Afterwards. Yes." She squeezed his hand reassuringly and flashed him a suggestive smile. He flopped back into his chair and gazed at her in wonder.

_That night…_

"You want ice cream?" She offered her spoonful of vanilla to him, which he gladly accepted. He smiled in content as she stretched her legs over his lap and settled back into the couch cushions.

"Hey, I believe you owe me a kiss, Miss Lisbon."

She stopped mid scoop and took on a thoughtful expression. "Oh yeah, I did, didn't I?" she confirmed. He raised his eyebrows expectantly. She turned her head to look at him teasingly and added, "Persuade me." Then she put her attention back on the TV.

For a second, he simply stared in awe, and then he discreetly reached out his hand and brushed his fingers over the bottom of her foot. The reaction was instant. She screeched in shock and brought her legs up to her chest, almost smacking herself in the face with her own knee.

Jane tilted his head back and laughed loudly, then bombarded her with a merciless tickle attack. The ice cream went flying and before she knew it, he had pinned her to the sofa.

"Don't even try and weasel your way out of this one, my dear! I've got you right where I want you." He growled seductively. She stared back with bright, green eyes.

"I wasn't planning to." She reached up and planted a kiss on his lips, which would be the first of many. It was going to be a long night…

**Ta da! Hope you enjoyed it! I'm going to be better with my updates this time. Pinkie promise!**

**Much love! X**


	2. B is for Bag

**A/N: Here's the next one! :D There will be two chapters at least today! Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. To be honest though, it's probably a good thing. Trust me, if I owned it, The Mentalist wouldn't be half as good as it is now.**

B is for Bag

"Where the hell is my bag?" Lisbon said crossly as she entered the bullpen. All eyes turned alarmingly to her looming figure that blocked the doorway. That is, all eyes but a certain blue pair that belonged to the figure on the couch.

Of course, she knew he had something to do with the mysterious disappearance of her handbag. He was ignoring her for one thing. And the tiniest of smirks that was playing at the corners of his mouth was another contributing factor.

"Son of a… JANE! Where the hell have you put my bag?" She shouted. Several people jumped at her sudden outburst.

"Huh? I haven't done anything!" he replied unconvincingly. He swivelled his legs around and sat on the edge of the couch. "You're always so quick to point the finger at me first. Why is that?"

"Because it's usually you who's the source of the problem. Now stop changing the subject and _tell me! _"

"Tell you what?" He smiled cheekily. She raised her hand in preparation for one of her killer punches but he jolted away before she had the chance to land it. "OK! OK! I'm kidding! I'll show you where it is. Follow me."

He stood and led the way to his attic room. From behind a bookshelf, he pulled out Lisbon's small handbag, which she took gratefully and clutched to her chest.

"Thank you Jane."

"For what?"

"For being reasonable for once and not lying to me."

"Meh, I can be reasonable when I try Lisbon. But only for you." With a wink, he left the room, leaving her dumbfounded. The honest truth was that he'd wanted her to find it, along with the message he'd planted inside…

_That evening…_

She was searching through her handbag for her cell phone. Finally she found it and answered the text message she'd received from her brother. After sending it, she went to replace the cell into the side pocket, when her gaze fell upon a post-it note stuck to the inside.

Her curiosity was piqued, and she pulled it off and read it out loud.

'_I'll know when you read this, since you always read everything out loud. Oh, don't look so shocked, my dear! You should know me by now! ;)'_

Her mouth, which was open in surprise closed instantly when she read the words on the paper. "Jane." she growled. How would he know if she was reading it, even if it were out loud? Was he spying on her?

'_I might be spying on you. It depends. What do you think? ;D' _

She was completely freaked out now. Even for him, this was something totally new! She read on.

'_Go look in the fridge' _

She frowned to herself.

'_Don't frown! Just trust me. Come on! Get up!'_

Slowly, as though the man himself were prompting her, she stood and walked to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator door and looked inside, expecting something to jump out.

'_Oh, don't panic. Nothing's going to jump out! Now. What do you see?'_

Taking her eyes from the paper, she glanced inside again. "I don't see anything!" she said to herself. Then, she saw it. A rather elegant looking box of chocolates and stuck to the top of it was another post-it note. "Jane, how the hell did you get into my house?" she muttered.

Pulling the note off, she smoothed it out and yet again read it aloud. It reminded her of an Easter egg hunt; following clues and finding things along the way.

'_So, you probably know where this is going, right? Ha ha, don't panic, my dear. All will be revealed soon enough. In fact, in three…two…one…'_

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. She screamed in total shock and utter disbelief. How the hell…?

When she finally got to opening it, she found none other than Patrick Jane standing with a bunch of flowers in his hands. Well, who else did she expect to time it like that?

"Surprise, Lisbon!" he exclaimed.

"Jane? How the hell did you get into my house? And how did you do all of this?" she shrieked, waving the box of chocolates and the notes in the air.

"Well, I know you so well that I could guess all of your reactions to the notes, so that part was easy as pie. I bought the chocolates and the flowers from the store." She shot him a look. "As for the getting into your house part…" he stopped talking and looked sheepishly at the floor.

"Jane, what did you do?" He didn't reply. She sighed. "I'm guessing you want to come in?"

Just like that, his smile was back and he nodded. Lisbon held open the door so he could step inside the hallway. Once the door was closed, she turned to him and asked again.

"What did you do?"

"Well, when I took your bag, I might've…taken the spare key you hide in the small inside pocket." He cringed, expecting a shouting match. But it didn't happen.

There was only a few seconds of silence. Thinking he knew what she wanted, he fished the key out of his pocket and held it out. But she declined and pushed his hands back towards his chest. "Keep it. You never know when you might need it in future." She winked. His jaw dropped, and then his face twisted into a wicked grin. "All this because of a bag, eh?"


	3. C is for CPR

**A/N: This one may seem a little darker than previous chapters to start with, but it'll brighten up as it goes along. Sorry for the delay! Family issues, New Year's Eve and whatnot, ya know…**

**Disclaimer: Really? The First season on DVD (WOOP! WOOP!) is the full extent of the things I own. And I don't really own it in a literal sense. You know what I mean. The stories aren't mine. I'm just playing around with the characters and I promise to put them back nice and tidy afterwards. :D**

C is for CPR

"Lisbon, can you hear me?" Jane hollered, petrified out of his mind. He could only stare helplessly at her small, weak and fragile body as she lay motionless on the cold, muddy floor.

A hive of activity surrounded them, but it was all blotted out by the blinding panic that accompanied the feeling of uselessness.

Time stood still, everything went in slow motion and his heart refused to stop hammering mercilessly inside his chest. Why wasn't he there when she needed him? Why didn't he save her? Now he could appreciate what she had gone through when he himself had almost been drowned all those weeks ago.

It was— in a word, hell. Completely and utterly horrendous. Though it pained him to admit it, it somehow was worse than the fateful day he had found his family dead. At least, if you thought about it the right way, he knew for sure what their fate would be. They were gone. End of. Nothing could be done.

But right now, the whole situation was in limbo. Whether his gorgeous lady cop would survive was unknown. She was so vulnerable, her life balanced precariously on the edge, threatening to topple over at any moment. All it took was a slight, unfortunate breeze to steer it in the wrong direction, and he would lose his precious Lisbon forever. It didn't bear thinking about.

His limbs slowly began to co-operate, and he frantically scrambled through the mass of paramedics to reach forward and grab her hand.

_So cold, _he thought. _She's so cold. This isn't right. This can't be right. Everything's wrong! Not Teresa… Not my Teresa…_

"Do CPR!" he roared over the noise. "Do it now! You have to save her!" All at once, the dam broke and a cascade of tears came tumbling from his eyes.

A stern looking man glanced in his direction and, after a moment's deliberation, nodded to his team of paramedics. The surged into action, a great force of warriors set upon saving this precious life that was fading fast.

He had to turn away. He just had to. Seeing her so pale was bad enough. But watching that current of electricity course through her would be the icing on the cake.

He would lose it. There would be no stopping him once he got started, and he might even end up hurting someone. Then where would he be?

Stuck in prison again, that's where. Stuck in a cold, harsh holding cell, miles away from her, not knowing whether she made it or not.

Over and over, they tried. He lost count of the amount of times he heard that sharp zapping noise. With each press of the button, he sobbed louder and louder, praying to a God that he didn't believe in to save her. For all that he was worth—

There was a cough. Then another, more ferocious one as she tried to rid herself of the muck she had taken in. Over and over she retched and gagged up the filthy river water until there was nothing left. Jane was there the second she moved, still holding her hand. He rested her head on his lap, stroking her hair soothingly as she shook and sobbed silently.

"Lisbon! It's OK. It's all going to be OK. I'm right here." They cried together, relieved and exhausted. He leant down and kissed her forehead. They coaxed him away so that she could be loaded into the ambulance, and he shouted out words of comfort to her as the doors closed.

That night, under that clear, starry sky, he made a solemn vow: He would protect her, no matter what. Even if that 'what' was Red John.

He now realised that Teresa Lisbon was far too important to lose. More so than he could put into words. She had been a hair's width away from death, but his tough little firecracker had fought against all the odds. Perhaps there was a God after all…


	4. D is for Dance lessons

**A/N: I'm on a roll! :D Here's D before I lose it! ;D **

**Disclaimer: Just look at the last chapter. And the one before that. In fact, look at all of my stories! I say no more. -_-**

D is for dance lessons

"But I can't dance, Boss." Lisbon stuttered.

"Well learn to then, Agent Lisbon." Leroche shot back. "It is a fundraising ball for the CBI, after all. I expect at least one dance from you. There are several classes available. I can give you a number if you'd like."

"No, that's quite alright, Boss. I'll sort it out myself."

"So I take it you'll be coming to the event then? Then again, it is mandatory that all agents attend, so in all honesty, you don't have a choice. I'll leave it to you, Agent." He skulked off back to his office slowly.

"He creeps me out…" she muttered under her breath.

"I know. Same here." Said a voice. She jumped.

"Oh, hi Jane. When did you get here?"

"When I saw you were being harassed by ol' snake-eyes." He replied nonchalantly.

"Shh! You can't say that about the Boss!" she squealed, her eyes wide. It took her a lot of effort to conceal the smile that was threatening to show itself. He nudged her.

"Aw, come. You obviously agree with me. In fact, I think everyone agrees." He chuckled, throwing his head back. She unwillingly joined in. "Hey, about this…ball. Did you say you were going to have dance lessons?"

Her smile vanished, instantly sensing where this conversation was going. "No. You are not going to go with me, Jane. I'm not even sure if I'm going to go myself. I'll probably just hide in a corner and stay as far away from ol' snake ey— I mean, Leroche, as possible."

"Aww, come on, Lisbon! It'll be fun! We'll show everyone else up at this ball, and then we can go home early. Whaddya say?" he winked for added effect.

"I say that I'm not going to let you persuade me into doing this. End of."

_Three days later…_

"Why did I let you persuade me into doing this?" she whispered crossly. Jane stood casually against the wall, listening to their instructor explain how the Waltz was done. Lisbon sat, hunched over in a plastic chair beside him. He chuckled.

"Because you can't resist my charm."

She didn't reply.

"The Waltz is all about connection. If the two partakers do not have a connection, then the dance will seem too forced. It will seem…how you say, _dull. _There needs to be a bit of oomph in there!" The rather eccentric Russian dance teacher flailed her arms around as she spoke. Her fluorescent pink top and wrist bands weren't exactly easy on the eyes, and it had taken Lisbon rather a long time to get over her bout of giggles.

"It needs to flow! Easy, fluid movements, yes?" She demonstrated, holding her arms out at right angles to show the correct stance of this particular dance. "You see? Nice, easy, gentle steps. Let it flow. Slow, rhythmic, in time with your partner, yes? You see?"

The handful of people dotted around the room let out a chorus of 'yes' in understanding. The woman beamed brightly and clasped her hands together.

"Good! Now, you will need to get into partners, please." She instructed. There was a murmur in the room as people assembled into pairs.

"Wanna go together?" Jane asked, secretly ecstatic at the prospect of getting to dance properly with Lisbon.

"Yeah, sure. There's no one else to go with, anyhow." She smiled.

"Now. I want you to get into the correct stance, please. Look this way. Now, I want all of you to stand facing each other with your shoulders parallel. That's it. Now, make sure your right foot is pointed between your partner's feet."

Jane and Lisbon followed her commands accordingly and shuffled awkwardly until their feet were in the right places.

"OK, good! Now, Men, your right arm will be your partner's main support! It should be just below your partner's right shoulder blade. Don't hold rigidly, just relax. Keep the fingers together and cup your hand. You will be guiding with your fingers and the heel of your hand. Keep your arm out, with your elbow pointing slightly to the side. That's it! Very good, all of you!"

She clapped her hands, as if she was delighted to finally have a class of half competent students to teach.

"Yes, very good, Jane!" laughed Lisbon sarcastically. Surprisingly, their close contact wasn't making either of them uncomfortable at all.

"Thanks!" he smiled.

"Now, ladies, your left arm should rest on your partner's upper arm with your thumb on the inside and your fingers over his shoulder. That's it. This is easy, yes? Next, ladies, your right hand should rest in the palm of your partner's left hand. Do not _hold_ hands, just gently! Gently rest your hand in his. Yes, that's it."

Suddenly, Lisbon felt her face flush. "You OK, Lisbon?" Jane asked.

"Yeah." She answered quickly.

"I didn't realise I had such an effect on you. Is it making you uncomfortable?"

"Nah. It's OK." She looked down at her feet and gulped, breathing in to keep a clear head.

"The hands should be raised to the eye level of the shorter of the two of you."

Jane and Lisbon giggled at the irony. Lisbon was at least a head shorter than Jane. He looked down at her and lined their hands up with her eyes. They were really green. Breathtakingly green! Especially in this light. He could get used to this…

"Do not use these hands to guide and move. That is done primarily by the man's right hand on the woman's back. Just relax these hands. But remember: NO SPAGHETTI ARMS! Do not be rigid; stay relaxed. But do not slack! Keep steady but soft."

"Steady but soft…"Lisbon repeated quietly.

"Ah, getting into this now, are we?"

"No… I'm just— trying to learn as much as possible. I—I don't really want to have to come here more than once." She stammered.

"OK! That is about it! I think you are about ready to dance now! Remember also: Look over your partner's right shoulder. You can still talk whilst avoiding collisions. Don't dance toe to toe.! You'll step on each other's feet!"

She jogged over to the side of the room and fiddled with her pink CD player.

"Oh no…" said Lisbon, suddenly panicking. But Jane gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"It'll be fine. I'll lead, you follow. Don't panic." And then the music started.

All at once they began moving, stepping perfectly in time with the music, somehow avoiding each other's toes and keeping perfectly poised positions. Instantly, Lisbon was lulled into a trance-like state. Her movements became second nature; Jane led her and she went with him. Despite their teacher's advice, they kept their eyes locked on each other's, entranced.

The woman stood by the wall, scrutinising every couple that twirled around the dance studio. Her eyes landed on a couple that consisted of a petite brunette and a taller man with blonde, curly hair. She was drawn to watching them; their connection was almost a real and tangible thing. There was no denying the sparks flying at that moment!

"You know, now that I think about it, I might be inclined to do this again." She said timidly.

"Really? Well, that's funny, because I was just thinking the same thing!"

Of course, both had already decided to attend the ball, as long as it meant dancing together again. They wouldn't miss it for the world.

**A/N: Oh yeah! Two chapters in one night! :D Hope you enjoyed, guys! See that little blue button down there? It doesn't bite you know! (Hint hint! ;D)**


	5. E is for Emerald

**A/N: Now, this may sound weird, but I got inspiration for this one from a catalogue. I was looking at the jewellery page and there was a birth stone descriptor thingy and emeralds were on there… And the words just kinda fit… :) So here it is!**

**Disclaimer: I do-do-don't owowowownnnnnnnnn The MentaaaAAAAlllist…I doooooooonn…This computer willllll self-self-self-ddestruuuct...Beep…beep…beepbeep…beepbeepbeep……..BANG! **

**See? I've said it so many times my computer blew up…Dang. :/**

E is for Emerald

"Hmm…What to get…what to get…what to get…"

It was an agonising decision. Every jewellery page had been read from top to bottom, but still she couldn't decide which piece was the most suitable. All Lisbon wanted was a simple but elegant necklace that matched her dress and didn't cost too much. Was that too much to ask?

She liked everything they had to offer, but it was either far too expensive or too dressy or not dressy enough or not the right colour or…or…or…

She growled in frustration, thus attracting the attention of you-know-who.

"What's up, my dear?" came the voice. In reply, she asked a question that she never thought she would.

"Jane, can you help me?" He sat up from is couch and raised an eyebrow.

"You need my help?" he beamed. She nodded.

"Yeah. Which one do you think I should get?" she asked, waving feebly to the page in front of her. Jane stood up and stepped behind her to read over her shoulder. After a mere three seconds of looking, he pointed to one.

"That one. Definitely." Lisbon craned her neck to scrutinise his chosen item.

He had chosen a gorgeous silver-chain necklace with a beautiful emerald pendant ringed by several small, shimmering diamonds. She didn't remember seeing this one before. Beside it was a small description. It read:

'_An emerald is known as the stone of successful love. It symbolises loyalty, faithfulness and friendship.'_

She hummed in agreement. It was simple and elegant. In short, it was perfect. Until she saw the price.

Her face dropped. "Thank you, Jane." She cringed. "It's beautiful, but I can't afford it."

His expression matched hers. "Oh, OK. I just thought the words were very apt for you, plus the colour matches your eyes. It suits you."

She blushed furiously. "Umm…Thanks."

"No problem. Sorry I wasn't that helpful."

"Oh, no! You've been really helpful! You've helped me think about the sort of thing I'm looking for."

He nodded at her and then left the room. She stared after him, smiling. He paid that much attention to her eyes? She was flattered. He'd thought all of those words described her. At best, she thought she might've fit the 'friendship' bit, seeing as they counted as friends. But that was about it.

But obviously Patrick Jane could see more than she herself could. At first glance, it could be seen as quite a creepy notion, but the more she thought about, perhaps there was some sort of romantic undertones there.

If he knew her better than herself, then he'd obviously been paying a _lot _of attention to her. The idea made her quiver in delight.

Then, as an afterthought, he poked his head back around the door. "Hey, Lisbon?"

"Yes, Jane?"

"Top drawer." He winked and in the blink of an eye he was gone again.

For a moment, she didn't move and stared at the closed door. Then, confused, she pushed her chair back a bit and pulled open the top drawer in her desk. What on Earth could he—

Her mouth fell open in complete disbelief.

Inside her top drawer was the very same necklace, adorned lovingly in a plush, velvet box. Next to it was a small handwritten note.

'_Thought you might like it. ;) And don't worry about anything. It's all taken care of. Xx' _

**Sorry for the late update, guys! You wouldn't believe how many pieces of homework I got on my first day back at school! **_**Six! Six I tell you! **_**They should be sued! Nah, I'm kidding. But still, cut us some slack, guys! We'll get major brain overload if we just jump straight in at the deep end! Sheesh!**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. Next one up will be ASAP! ;D**


	6. F is for Fairy

**A/N: Howdy folks! So sorry for the gap again. I hope you guys can forgive me for all these late updates. I swear, I'm trying to get these up ASAP, but something always happens at exactly the wrong time. I'm sorry. Let's get it done! (Yeah, I know Christmas is over, but I love it, so this story will be themed with that. ;D)**

**Disclaimer: Nope. Not mine. Pft, I give up. -_-**

F is for Fairy

Intently, Jane watched Lisbon balance precariously on the small plastic step, arms stretched up as high as her small height would allow. The grand looking Christmas tree refused to co-operate and no matter how many times she strained or muttered curse words under her breath, she was always just out of reach.

She gripped tightly onto the small polystyrene fairy she held in her hand and once more, tried and failed to reach the top bough of the tree. Finally, after her fifteenth attempt, she finally rocked back on her heels and sighed in annoyance.

After her gargantuan effort however, she forgot she was standing on the ill-balanced step and it rocked precariously beneath her feet. She squealed and flung her arms out to the side, feeling herself fall.

In mere milliseconds, Jane was out of his seat and had his arms held out to catch her the instant she fell. She tumbled into him, wincing and waiting for the hard contact with the floor. But all she felt was the warmth of a sturdy pair of arms around he.

The fairy was still clutched in her hands. For a moment, she didn't try to move, just remained frozen and waited for the shock to wear off. At least…That's what she told herself. Maybe she just wanted to savour the feel of his hands on her hips, sending those undeniable waves of ecstasy through her body. Or the gentle puffs of his sweet breath in her ear that sent chills down her spine.

In her defence, he wasn't really making an effort to move either!

"Err…" she hummed, looking down at the floor awkwardly. She brought her feet backwards so that she could stand once more and pushed herself upright, brushing her clothes down.

"You OK?" He asked, reluctantly letting go.

"Yeah." She gulped. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just can't reach the damn top branch!" she said accusingly, glaring at the branch in question to make her anger felt. He laughed at her sheer adorableness.

"Lemme help you." He offered as he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder again. The instant rush of heat was back again, and it was felt by both.

"What are you gonna do?" she asked suspiciously. He noticed it wasn't a harsh question like she would've asked him under different circumstances, and he also clocked that as soon as he broke contact, her face fell in… what? Disappointment? He inwardly smirked.

"I'm only going to give you a boost. Come on. The sooner this stuff is done, the sooner we can finish up and do whatever." A little too late, he noticed his slip-up.

"Do whatever?" she frowned with a smile. "Don't you mean go home? Or did you have something else in mind?" Being the too-smart-for-his-own-good jackass he was, Jane instantly switched it around to cover up.

"Well, you know. We could just hang out." There! No harm in that, was there? "I mean, I have nothing to go home for, and I'm sure that _'The Wizard of Oz'_ will be repeated for many years to come." He added ironically, smirking. She shuffled awkwardly. "Oh, yeah, I knew about that all right!"

"Stop it!" she said, shoving him playfully. "I like that film. I find it…" She scrunched up her nose as she thought for an appropriate word. "…nostalgic." He nodded.

"That explains it."

"Explains what?"

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking out loud."

"Whatever. You gonna help me with this fairy?" His smile grew at her prompt and he nodded enthusiastically. Jane linked his fingers together and held them out, palms facing upward so she could step up.

She kicked off her heeled boots for fear of hurting his hands and placed her foot in the platform he had created for her. He marvelled in the way that her feet looked so small and strangely cute in his large hands. Still holding the fairy, she put a hand on both of his shoulders and hoisted herself up.

His breathing hitched. When she stretched her arms above her head, her top rode up, revealing her smooth stomach that was…conveniently at his eye-level. He coughed to clear his throat and then looked up as she cried out triumphantly. The fairy was sat elegantly on the top branch and Lisbon tapped his head as a signal for him to let her down.

Effortlessly, he eased her to the ground and patted her on the back. "Well done. Now, since that's done, why don't we sit down for a while? I'm shattered!"

She made a dismissive noise. "_You're _shattered? Excuse me, who's just spent the last hour and a half decorating the tree?"

"Hey, I helped you put the fairy on the top! And you're quite a bit heavier than I thought."

"Hey!" she pouted. "I resent that!"

"Oh, calm down. I'm kidding. You're light as a feather. Light as a _fairy _even." He looked up. "Actually, you and that fairy do kinda bear a slight resemblance." He pondered. She looked up to follow his gaze.

"No we don't!" she countered, frowning.

He laughed. "Stop looking so offended! I'm only kidding. You reciprocate everything I say! I think you're—" She stood admiring the tree and stepped to the side so that she was inches away from him without really realising it. He could smell her beautifully familiar scent clinging to her. He gulped and his voice dropped to a whisper. "—perfect." He finished.

She seemed content and distracted with admiring the finished product of their work. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. She let out a small yelp in surprise but, to his delight, didn't protest.

"You're _my_ fairy." He whispered into her ear.

"Really?" she whispered back, her voice hitching. "How so?"

"You're special. And your magic is really starting to get to me." He felt her involuntary smile and knew he'd said the right thing. "You know, maybe we'd better put the mistletoe up soon?" he suggested.

This was going to be a wonderful Christmas.


	7. G is for Genie

**A/N: I apologise in advance if this one isn't up to normal standards. I'm a bit down at the moment. Hope it's all right for you! I'll try my damned hardest. Enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: Nuh uh, it's not mine. Bubble. Burst. :'(**

G is for Genie.

He had noticed that her usual upbeat and focused demeanour had gone, and had been replaced by an exhausted and fragile wisp of her former self.

He was watching her now from his brown couch. Lisbon was pretending to work so that she wouldn't appear lazy to the rest of her team. Who did she think she was kidding? With a sense of resolve, he stood up and walked idly to her office.

He entered without knocking as per usual and stood in front of her desk, watching her with gentle eyes.

"What do you want, Jane?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"I want to help you."

She made a noise of amusement. "You want to help me? Fine then. Go make me a coffee." She didn't smile or even look up, expecting him to wave a hand dismissively and lay down for a 'nap'. But to her surprise, he walked out of the room straight away and disappeared in the kitchen.

Her head jerked to the side in puzzlement. She pouted in a thoughtful manner and frowned. What was he up to?

Minutes later, he re-entered and presented her with a hot cup of her favourite drink. She stared at him for a moment until she could bear the temptation of the beverage no more. Then she took it and gulped it down in record time. He sat back on his heels, watching her with a satisfied smirk.

"Thank you. I needed that." She gasped when the cup was empty. He glanced inside it and pulled a face.

"Yeah, I could tell." She laughed. "Hey. Are you OK?" he asked her softly. She nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just so damn tired!" A sigh escaped her lips and she sat back in her chair, head back and eyes closed. She didn't hear him walk behind her, and as she opened her eyes, she was met with a bright smile.

"You know, you still have two wishes left." He smiled. She sat up.

"Huh?" The adorable questioning expression appeared on her face again. "Two _wishes_?"

"That's right. I'm your personal assistant for the day. Or I prefer 'Genie'. Imagine that. Genie for a day, eh? Any three things you ask for, your wish is my command." He smiled.

"Genie? You're not a Genie, Jane."

"Hey! Good one! 'Janie'! Get it? It's like 'Genie' and 'Jane' mixed into one!" he began to laugh but he stammered when he caught her look. "Ah ha, yeah…Bad pun." He coughed. "Sorry."

Lisbon suddenly burst out into a fit of laughter. In that moment, Jane decided that it was his favourite sound. He laughed along; his vigour renewed and spurred on by her amusement. "So I can be your Genie for the day?" he asked, hopeful.

"If you want." She chuckled. "So I've got two more wishes, yeah?"

"Actually, you can start with the three again if you want. You didn't know you had them. Plus you didn't say the words 'I wish for…', so it doesn't count." He said kindly. Her smile grew from ear to ear.

"Aww, thank you, Jane!" Her mind buzzed with all the possibilities at this bizarrely satisfying source of power she had. "OK. For my first 'wish'…" She looked around the room. I wish I could have a donut from Marie's." She smiled hopefully, hinting with her eyes.

"Of course, ma'am. I'll be right back." She bit her lip to supress a smile. She loved this side of Patrick Jane. Loved it more than anything.

True to his word, he returned in no time with an elegant looking box wrapped with a bow in his hands. She opened it gingerly and found her favourite kind inside. Hungrily, she picked it up and bit into it, savouring the flavour that spread across her tongue. Jane almost lost control there and then.

_Almost._

Her second wish had been an origami swan. Secretly, she intended for it to be the newest addition to her 'Jane origami' collection, but of course she would never tell him out loud that she had kept every single one of his delicate little creations. That could lead to a whole lot of trouble that she very much wanted to steer clear of.

But instead of just one origami swan, he had made her a whole team of swans, each one in a different position to the others. There were large, gallant models with their wings out wide, as if they were really soaring in the wind. And others were made to look as though they were swimming on a vast, open lake, beaks sky-ward.

They were all created with the precision of a professional. She guessed he spent a lot of his spare time making these dainty little things. "You should go into business." She said out loud. She had meant to think it, but he smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Lisbon."

She decided to wait until the end of the day to use up her last wish. She had thought long and hard about it all day long, but she had lost all of her inspiration along with her enthusiasm towards the work.

"Hey, Lisbon." He called, announcing his entrance.

"Hey, Geni—I mean, Jane." She laughed. "I could get used to this Genie stuff. It's kinda fun in a weird way. You're actually doing what I say for once!"

"That was the deal!" he winked at her, making her cheeks flush crimson instantly. "Which reminds me; you still have one wish left, my dear." She put her head in her hands in an attempt to think. "OK, you only have one more wish left so make it count." She growled in frustration. "What is the one thing you would most like to be doing right now?" he hinted.

To his surprise, her head jolted up and she stared at the floor, embarrassed. "Don't ask me that…" she whispered.

"Why not?" he frowned.

"Because." She stated simply.

"Because?" he pushed.

"Because it's…embarrassing!" she spluttered. He looked into her eyes before she averted them, not wanting him to know what she was thinking. Too late.

"Oh, I see. Tut, tut, Miss Lisbon. You should know better than to keep things from me." She let out a whimper of embarrassment and hid in the couch cushions. She was so adorable at times like these that his heart practically melted. "Hey, don't be embarrassed." He soothed, coaxing her out of her hiding place. "Now, just say it. No matter what it is, just tell me. I swear, I won't laugh and I won't tell anyone. OK? Please just trust me, Lisbon. What's you final wish?"

"No I—"

"Just tell me. Please." He cut in, his eyes so sincere and earnest, more so than she had ever seen him before.

"Jane, I… My final wish is…I—I wish…that I could…"

"Wish that you could what, Lisbon?" he urged gently, resting a hand on her knee. He already knew what she was going to ask, and boy was he ready to say those five words.

"I wish that I could kiss you!" she blurted out.

"You're wish is my command." He replied simply.

**A/N: Aaaand I'll leave the rest to your imagination. ;D I'm mean like that. Hope it was OK for everyone! Can I just say that I don't live in America, so I have no idea what kinds of donuts they do in Marie's, so I left it blank. Those of you who are familiar with it, I'll let you decide which flavour she had. ;D This was inspired by Aladdin, a particular favourite of mine and my little cousin's. Xx**


	8. H is for Hangman

**A/N: Hey guys. If anyone has any specific ideas or requests for future chapters, please leave me a message in a review or in a PM. I sometimes have a bit of writer's block, and I would be able to update a LOT faster if I actually knew what to write about. :/ Anyways, hope you enjoy. X**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Mentalist and I won't keep complaining about it if each Friday would just HURRY UP! In a way, I don't like watching the promos because they make me too excited for the episode and then it takes so long for the air date to come!**

H is for Hangman.

"I'm bored." He stated for the millionth time that day.

"Good!" she shot back, giving him an appalled look.

"Good? How is being bored a good thing?"

"It means no one had been killed, Jane. In case you haven't noticed, a person dying is a bad thing."

"Yes, I know that. Hullo, what have I been doing the past eight years?"

Her face softened. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I apologise. That was out of line…" She looked down at her desk in mortification, begging the floor to swallow her up.

"Hey, it's OK. I know you didn't." she heard the smile in his voice and dared to glance up through her lashes. "I have an idea. You wanna play hangman with me?" he asked.

"Umm, sure." She stammered. Lisbon pulled a fresh sheet of paper out of her desk drawer and selected a pen from the stationery pot beside it. She clicked it once and briefly scribbled in a corner of the paper to check it worked, and then made her way to join him on the couch.

Jane opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it. "Bugsy, going first!" she said in a sing-song manner. He closed his mouth and pouted.

"OK, fine."

For a moment, she sat and thought. She wanted something that he wouldn't be able to guess in a million years. Something personal that he couldn't possibly know. Something like…

"Ah ha! Got it!" She clicked the pen out and went about drawing the correct set of lines. There were seven horizontal lines followed by a slash that represented a space in a sentence. Then, there were two more lines before another slash and then three more, a slash and finally nine more lines.

Jane let out a low whistle as he began to 'think'. Of course, he knew the answer, it's just he wanted to humour her a little, let her think she'd won for a few sweet seconds before that adorable little pout would make an appearance.

He purposefully used up all of his guesses apart from one, leaving her drawing void of a single limb. Then, he took a 'guess'. "'Pirates of the Caribbean'? The movie you watched last night?"

She let out a whine of distress. "You knew! How did you know what I was watching last night? For God's sake, that's not fair." She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest, jutting out her bottom lip. He laughed lightly.

"It wasn't that difficult, Lisbon, seeing as you mouth the words you're going to write. I knew before you'd even finished writing it down." This earned yet another sound of aggravation. "I'm sorry. I'll go easy on you. It's my turn now."

"You better, you jackass." She grumbled. He took the piece of paper from her and drew out the lines; one line, a slash, four lines, another slash and then three more lines. She drew in a breath of air as she looked down and went about guessing the letters.

"A?"

"Nope."

"E?"

"Yep." He wrote it down on the last line of the second word.

"I?"

"Yeah." He scribbled it down on the very first line.

"'I'…'I' something…" she hummed to herself. He grinned. Oh boy, this was gonna be fun!

"O?"

"Yes. Good idea, going for all the vowels first. Smart!" She shoved him playfully.

"Don't patronise me!" She watched as he put in an 'o' on the second line of the second word and another on the second line of the third word. "U?"

"Uh huh. Do you know what it is yet?" he asked as he penned in a 'u' on the very last line of the phrase.

Suddenly, all the pieces came together and she gulped. She knew what it said. It wasn't that difficult, considering there were only three letters missing. With a nod of the head, she looked at him.

She tried to suppress a laugh of joy and amusement as he shuffled awkwardly in his seat. "Well?" he urged, wishing desperately that she wouldn't hate him or shout at him or throw a stapler at his head. After a few moments, she spoke.

"I love you too, you jackass."

**A/N: Hands up if you knew what he wrote before Lisbon guessed it! ;D lol, hope to get more up tonight, considering I've been a complete jackass myself and didn't post anything when I was supposed to! :(**


	9. I is for ID

**A/N: This one will have a little less dialogue in it. OK, a lot less, but I want it to be short and sweet. ;D There's not really very many talking opportunities anyhow. Enjoy! X**

**Disclaimer: No, it's not mine. You wouldn't want it to be, trust me. **

I is for ID

Over the years, Teresa had been given many different names.

There had been 'Reese', as allocated by her younger brothers during their childhood.

Then, during his outbursts, her father had taken to calling her by her full name, as a means of seeming more intimidating to his eldest.

Many different nicknames like 'Tess', or 'Terry' had often cropped up during high school.

It was when she started her job as an officer of the law that she had been assigned a _real _title:

'Junior Agent Teresa Lisbon'.

Even with the 'junior' tagged onto the front, it had been one of the proudest moments of her life. Up and up the ranks she went, eventually advancing to 'Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon' and 'Boss' of her very own team of fine agents.

She thought that, after her history, it couldn't get much better than being the head of one of the best investigative teams in all of California. She had a badge to show for it and everything!

But as it turns out, she thought wrong. For it was during that time as leader that she had gained her most favoured ID of them all.

The elegant golden ring around her finger had made it official.

"Say hello to Mrs Teresa Jane!"


	10. J is for Journal

**A/N: Oh, by the way, thank you so much to everyone who keeps reviewing! That's right, I'm looking at you, Wldwmn, ShellGrad, xxmentalistxxspooksxx, bloodorangeandvanillaicecream, Brown Eyes Parker and tafkap in particular! Wow-o-wow, you guys are all awesome! :D **

**Now, I'll say now, this one is very OOC. For some strange reason though, I like angsty fics that then have a happy ending. So, I thought I'd try my hand at one. :D If you're not a fan of that kind of thing, then don't say I didn't warn you! But give it a go anyways. ;D You never know. x**

**Disclaimer: I own it, I own it not. I own it, I own it not. I own it, I own it not. I own it, I…own it not. Dang. :/**

J is for Journal

"Jane? Are you up here?" Lisbon called out to the darkness of the attic room. He hadn't made an appearance all day, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little worried. There was no reply to her call, but she stepped inside and flicked on the light just to make sure.

With a disgruntled sigh, she turned to leave the room when something caught her eye. It was lying haphazardly on the mattress, its cover facing the ceiling. It was a blue book, she noted. A small, blue notebook with its pages wide open- something that intrigued her further.

Cautiously, she walked over to it and picked it up, straightening the bent corners of the exposed page and perching on the edge of the bed. Finding herself unable to put it back down, she began reading.

'_I have to admit, writing a journal has been unexpectedly productive. Not only has it helped significantly with organising the thoughts in my head, but it's helped me to realise how cold and indifferent I have been as of late. I must remember to thank that doctor who suggested it.'_

Lisbon chuckled. It wasn't in Jane's nature to confess he was wrong. And to a doctor, no less. This was precious, and she carried on reading, unaware of the pair of eyes watching her.

'_Inevitably, it pains me to speak of my family out loud. But putting it down on paper makes it seem much more bearable in a way. Up to now, most of these pages will have been filled with mindless scribbles of my family and what I once had and how I have very little to live for now.'_

Her shoulders drooped and she paled. The pair of eyes watching her judged from her reaction what section she was reading, and they reflected the shudder of anticipation their owner experienced in that moment. They watched as she continued to read on.

'_But upon reflection, I now know that the last statement isn't true. I have everything to live for. Red John must, and will be brought to justice, make no mistake about that. But I'm also surrounded by people who appreciate me for who I am. _

'_I have Wayne Rigsby, Kimball Cho and Grace Van Pelt, the terrific trio of agents that I have become close friends with by my side. I have no doubt that Madeleine Hightower will remain a close friend of mine too.'_

His prose continued, stating each and every name that meant something to him. Then she noticed something and tears began to form in her eyes. Where was she? Was she not worth anything to him? Was he beyond caring or did he just not like her? Strangely, the thought made the tears spill down her cheeks and she scrubbed them away angrily, scowling to herself.

"Of course he doesn't like you, you idiot! Why the hell would he?" she muttered. The figure in the corner cringed and his heart broke.

_Turn the page, Teresa!_

He watched as she scanned over the whole paragraph, the tears rolling more frequently now. With a gasp, she clapped the book shut and put it back down where she found it, not wanting to read anymore. She sniffed and hugged her arms, staring at the book like it was something dangerous and evil. If only she had turned the page…

Lisbon stood up and started to walk quickly to the door. He could take it no more. He burst out from the shadows and clasped his hand around her wrist, stopping her with a shriek. She attempted to wrestle free, unaware of his identity.

"Let me go!" she yelped as she tried to pull her wrists free. But he held firm and she was forced to stop walking when a strong pair of arms curled protectively around her. Relentlessly, she tossed about, frantically crying out for help and carelessly letting the tears cascade, unstopping, down her cheeks.

"Lisbon, calm down!" he said gently in her ear. "It's me." Though she recognised the voice, the fact that it belonged to _him _made her more and more desperate to run. Get out of there.

"No, let me go! I-I'm sorry! I-Just let me go!"

"Not until we talk, Teresa! I have to tell you something!" Slowly, he felt her gradually stop struggling. Then her body quivered with exertion and she breathed a ragged sigh and sniffed.

"Talk about what, Jane? There's nothing to talk about. It's obvious that you don't…" She trailed off.

"I don't what?"

"You don't like me." It came out as a whisper, despite her best efforts.

"That is not true!" he said firmly, resting his cheek against her neck, breathing in her scent.

"Then why—?"

"You didn't turn the page." He said gently.

"Huh?"

"You didn't turn the page of the journal." He released his embrace and led her over to the book again, which he noted she shied away from. "Here. Look." He opened the book to the page she had been reading and held it out to her. She took it gingerly and stared at him. "Go on."

With lightly trembling fingers, she flipped the delicate sheet of paper over and gasped.

The first thing that she saw was a small sketch of herself and Jane, sitting on his brown leather couch, and smiling, clearly in the middle of an amusing conversation. There was a whole page of writing on the opposite side.

'_If I've learnt anything during my time here at the CBI, it's how to love again. Yes, you read that right. I'm not afraid to admit it anymore. Why should I be? I'm not ashamed and I can't ignore it anyhow. Miss Teresa Lisbon, my colleague and my best friend, has captured my heart. She lives right at the very centre of my memory palace and I intend to keep her there, safe and sound, for the rest of my life. _

'_That is, if she'll have me. Every day, I see her come into work and go about her usual business. But even though it's the same routine, day in, day out, I never get bored of being with her. She really is a breath of fresh air. I love her more than anything, and, when the time is right, I will tell her. However, I'm scared that I'll ruin whatever we already have between us. I'm so frightened that I'll lose her because of my stupidity. If she does hate me after all the things I've done since I walked into her life all those years ago, then truthfully, I don't blame her. I'm a hopeless case, and I'm sure that she knows that._

'_I can only hope that when the time comes for me to tell her, I don't ruin everything. That's my biggest fear.'_

Following on from that, there was page after page after page of writing about her. Sketches, more writing, the odd photo. Finally, she looked up into his eyes, unable to form a coherent reply. Instead, she pulled him into an embrace which he gladly returned. She snuggled into his warmth, clinging onto him for dear life and never wanting to let go.

She let the book fall to the floor, watching as it opened on a page that contained a picture of the two of them wrapped in an embrace similar to their current one. She smiled, finally able to bring forth audible words.

"Of course I'll have you. And don't be scared, because you already had me a long time ago."

**A/N: Good grief, this is practically a whole story in itself! If you don't like angsty stuff, then I apologise. I have a strange, sadistic liking for that kind of thing. I'm not a depressive person; I just had a particular fondness for moving stories and films in general. Don't ask why, because even I don't know! :/**


	11. K is for Karma

**A/N: I am sincerely amazed at the humble reception I received for the last chapter- I thought it would be a little too angsty for a story like this, but apparently you guys had other ideas! :D Love you all!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned it, you would know. Trust me.**

K is for karma.

"Karma's a bitch." Rigsby griped under his breath. Cho cracked the tiniest of smiles and Van Pelt looked at him in puzzlement.

"What's up?" she asked. He huffed for the umpteenth time and irately slumped into his chair. With a dissatisfied sigh, he looked at her.

"I can't find my candy bar. I left it in my bag for later, but it's not there now."

She stared at him incredulously. Just then, Lisbon approached them and he forced his sullen frown into an unconvincing look of enthusiasm.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked. He merely grumbled an incoherent reply and turned away. She looked at his back with a dejected expression and turned to Van Pelt for an explanation.

"He can't find his candy bar." She scoffed.

"How is that Karma?" piped up Cho. Rigsby turned to him.

"I sat on Jane's couch earlier. I didn't realise he was so damn protective of that thing." He gesticulated in the direction of the sofa and grunted.

"How do you know Jane did it?" deadpanned Cho.

"Oh, come on! You know him as well as I do. He obviously took my candy bar as payback." Cho just turned back to his novel, disinclined to let the conversation go on any more than it had.

Lisbon decided not to question the matter any further with a roll of her eyes and then turned to the whole team and spoke.

"You guys can all go home, if you want. It's getting late and we have no case. Have a good evening." They all regarded her with a nod and simultaneously began packing their things up. One by one, they passed her and said goodbye.

As soon as the last agent had left, she turned around and made her way into the kitchen. Mechanically, she started to make her traditional cup of coffee. Half way through the process however, she ascertained that someone had put her favourite kind on the highest shelf in the top cupboard.

"Typical." She glowered to herself. She launched herself up onto the counter and turned onto her knees. She hunted through the collection of beverages until she found the correct one- right at the back. She strained to reach it and let out a breath when her fingertips grazed the side of the pack. She stretched as far as she could, bracing her legs so as not to fall off. Almost there…Almost…There…

_Smash!_

She gasped and snapped her hand back so she could peer down at the floor. A familiar egg-shell coloured mug lay in shards beneath her. A wave of horror crashed over her as the realisation hit full-force.

"Crap, crap, crap!" she cursed. She clambered down, ignoring the click of the machine behind her, and knelt beside the remnants of one of her consultant's most prized possessions. She bit her lip in anguish and balled her hands into fists at the prospect of Jane's wrath.

He had condemned Rigsby to his own personal idea of hell for merely sitting on the brown couch. To what lengths would he go to make her pay for this? In the eyes of someone unfamiliar with life in the CBI, this incident would be dismissed with a wave of a hand and the use of a dustpan and brush. But she knew better than to pass it off as an 'accident'. She was doomed.

When Jane found out about this, he would—

"Hey, Lisbon. What's— Are you OK?" He entered the room casually and then froze at the sight of his Boss kneeling on the floor.

She shot up, turned to face him and paled. _Time to face the music, _she thought glumly. Her feet shuffled to the side, as though she was hiding something. His eyes peered around her ankles and came to rest on patch of scattered blue shards. His face mirrored hers and his eyes darkened.

"Jane, I'm sorry. It—It was an accident. I—"

"An accident? I should hope so, Lisbon." Really, he wasn't that angry. But her face right now was priceless; her eyes sparkled with wetness and she looked so adorably guilty that his heart practically melted into a puddle. So he decided to play it up a little. "You smash my favourite mug, and all you say is 'sorry'?"

She looked at the floor, believing his show of anger was genuine and feeling like the complete and utter criminal in the situation. "I honestly didn't mean to, Jane I— someone put the coffee up in the top cupboard and I climbed onto the counter to reach it. I knocked it off the side. I—"

"So, not only do you break it, but then you blame it all on someone else?" He began to skulk towards her.

"No!" she reciprocated, eyes widening. "No, I didn't say that!"

"You're only digging yourself a deeper and deeper hole, my dear." She quivered involuntarily at his term of endearment. "I think it's time for my payback, don't you?" He came closer and closer, never breaking eye contact. In response, she awkwardly backed away.

"What are you going to do? You stole Rigsby's candy bar because he sat on your couch. What'll it be this time?"

He chuckled lightly. "So you knew it was me?"

"Rigsby suspected it was, seeing as you're such a stickler for payback." She was flat up against the refrigerator now, feeling the coldness seep through her thin jacket. She shivered again, feeling the chill of both the cool metal at her back and his icy glare.

He shrugged and stood a few inches in front of her. "You know me too well, Teresa." He watched with satisfaction as she squirmed uncomfortably and breathed in, trying to shy impossibly further from his looming body.

"Jane, I'm sorry, OK? I didn't mean to break the mug! Just stop it!"

"Meh, I wish I could, Lisbon. But you've been a bad girl, and I intend for you to pay." He subsequently rested a hand on the refrigerator either side of her shoulders, effectively blocking her escape route. She whimpered and looked down.

"Rigsby was right. Karma's a bitch." She whispered lightly, shuddering once more. He nuzzled her cheek and smiled as he felt her body go lax before him.

"Yes it is, Lisbon." He planted a ghost of a kiss on her neck and shivered when he heard her sigh. "Yes it is."

**A/N: Ta da! I'm on a roll, so there may be more to come today! :D That little blue button doesn't bite. Honest it doesn't! ;D**


	12. L is for Lipstick

**A/N: A shout out to tafkap for the title of this one! Thank you sooo much! And a hug to all of you reviewers out there. :D WARNING: This one's a lot more…ahem, T orientated. I wouldn't go as far as to make it an M; it's just a bit more 'descriptive' than past chapters. Don't say I didn't warn you! Also VERY OOC!**

**Disclaimer: *Sigh* If I owned The Mentalist, what would be the point in putting a disclaimer? If I owned it, I wouldn't have written anything at all. Oh, the pain! *sobs***

L is for Lipstick

With fluid movements, she put on a slick layer of lipstick and adjusted her flimsy dress.

With one final brush of her dark brown hair, she left the bathroom and was met by a pair of strong arms. She squealed happily as he picked her up and whisked her over to the bed.

She laid back and he hovered over her, letting his sweet breath fan over her face. She sighed contentedly and closed her eyes as he ran a hand along her hip and left a trail of soft kisses down her neck and along her exposed collar bone.

She unconsciously let her hands wander to his curly blonde hair and she tugged on it lightly, getting a soft moan out of him subsequently. He continued to ravish her with gentle kisses and lingering touches in places that had, up to now, been out of bounds; he traced the subtle curves of her waist with gentle fingers, kissed every inch of her angelic face, committing it to memory.

All the while, she reciprocated with equal verve and moans and sighs that she couldn't hold back. It was as if the whole world had disappeared. It was just two of them, lost in the moment and finally, _finally _achieving the one thing that both had wanted so much for so long.

Jane wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a sitting position. She brought herself up onto her knees and snaked her arms around his neck, suddenly looking down at him through her thick lashes. Her pupils dilated rapidly when they made eye contact. She kissed the corner of his mouth, slowly and seductively, earning herself the pleasure of feeling him lose control beneath her.

He turned his head and crushed his lips to hers, closing his eyes and letting himself truly lose himself in all things Lisbon. She did likewise and soon, she felt his hands searching. Roaming down her body, brushing her delicate hip bones, further and further down…

The door smashed open and a tall, burly man cast a shadow across the room. Jane and Lisbon disentangled themselves and a staring match ensued. A gun pointed towards them made Jane instinctively pull her closer to his body. Their heartbeats matched in rhythm as he walked into the room. Closer and closer he came, the barrel still aimed menacingly ahead.

"CHO! NOW!" she hollered. The door across the hallway flew open and the dark haired agent stormed out with his own gun drawn, instantly pointing it at the assailants head.

"Drop the gun! Now!" he shouted to the man. With a look of vanquish, he placed the cold, metal object on the floor. With the swiftness of the professional he was, Cho pulled out his cuffs and clicked them around the man's wrists. With a nod and an inconspicuous smirk in their direction, he pulled him away and vanished down the hallway.

Jane and Lisbon were left to sit back and sigh in comfortable companionship.

"Well." He said.

"Well." She copied, laughing lightly.

"Awkward much?" he said, smiling. She shrugged.

"Meh, that's often the price you pay for co-operating in an undercover mission."

He nodded in mutual agreement.

Under different circumstances, Lisbon would've been in a bad mood. She hated undercover missions. Why they couldn't just go about an investigation the traditional way, she didn't know.

But this time was dissimilar to past missions; for one thing, she was asked to pose as an eccentric hooker, rather than the predictable new neighbour on the street. Another diverse aspect was that she was part of a duo. Jane had to tag along.

Initially, her first reaction had been a resounding 'no'. But as time went on, the idea grew on her. It stands to reason that she was nervous about getting 'intimate' with him, but that was part of the package she got when given the task of undertaking the operation.

Well, she said that her superiors had made it a mandatory mission for her, but she had in fact accepted it voluntarily. But that was a fact that she had no intention of sharing any time soon.

It meant dressing up. And that was a treat that she seldom indulged in. It also meant that she'd get to be with Jane. Now that was an opportunity that only a fool would decline. Of course, the phrase 'be with Jane' entailed something on a different scale entirely when you considered the role she'd be playing. On the outside, she had dealt with it in a professional manner and not dwelled on it out loud too frequently.

But inside, her stomach had been doing somersaults the whole time. Her imagination and fleeting fantasies had run riot in the build-up and they had finally been unleashed. At the end of the day, it was the best of both worlds. She got to engage in the one thing she most wanted to do, (not that she'd admit it, obviously!) and they caught a murderer in the process.

A serial killer that targeted specific hookers and, if necessary, their prospective 'partners' had been brought to justice.

The motel room was bugged, as far as they were concerned. So everything they said or did had to have been relevant to the case in question. Otherwise their cover would have been blown and it would all have been for nothing.

Or not. Depended on how you looked at it.

"Hey, you have lipstick on your face." She laughed tactfully.

"I wonder why that is?" he smiled perceptively.

They lapsed into comfortable silence again, both reliving that night's experience in their minds.

"This was different." She commented, echoing his thoughts.

"You can say that again!"

"This was different!" They broke into giggles and stood up.

He held out his hand. She took it and was pulled into a hug which she returned. "No awkward feelings, right?" he said into her hair.

"Course not." She replied. "But go wash that lipstick off, otherwise things _will _get awkward!"

**A/N: Eesh, please feel free to criticise me on that one. As you can probably tell, writing more intimate scenes REALLY isn't my strong point. -_- Cut me some slack though, I'm only 13! It's not really my thing either. But I wanted to try something a little different. I think it was a bad mistake, but nevertheless, there you have it. :)**


	13. M is for Maid of Honour

**A/N: Sorry for no updates yesterday. Bit busy. Will make it up to you all now, though. And I'm going back to basics; I don't think uber fluffy scenes are really my thing. I'm a bit out of my comfort zone too, so things will be back to normal. :D Enjoy! X**

**Disclaimer: Smilies are Red, Citroens are blue, I don't own The Mentalist, and neither do you! Unless you're Bruno Heller of course. MWAHAHA! XD**

M is for Maid of Honour

Grace hummed excitably behind Lisbon, adjusting her Boss's dress for the millionth time. She glanced at the red-head in the mirror, smiling broadly at her contentment.

Lisbon chuckled. "Hey, I'm the one getting married! What's got you so happy?"

"I'm just so excited for you, Boss!" she clapped. Teresa turned and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Stop calling me that. Today, I'm not your Boss." She smiled.

Grace could barely contain herself and flapped her arms in the air with a squeal of sheer joy. She picked something up from the dresser and faced Teresa once more, giving her make-up a once over.

She gently pushed a strand of hair out of her friend's eyes and handed her a beautiful bouquet of pink and ivory roses. Lisbon admired them with adoration, realising from their positioning that they had been masterfully arranged and organised by a gentle hand.

Grace continued to talk from behind her, lost in her own world. "I'm just…UGH! This so amazing! For so long, we've all been saying how you two were meant for each other! And now it's finally happened!"

There was a strong sense of admiration in Teresa's eyes. This young woman before her had been through so much these past few years. Yet she still remained the most sanguine person she had ever had the gratification to meet.

Over the years they had been working together, Grace had rapidly become one of the only people she could confide in for help. Without either really noticing, they had become best friends. That's why Lisbon's decision had been easy and immediate; she wanted Grace to be her Maid of Honour.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Rigsby's voice could be heard, muffled by the wood. "Guys, we need to go! The ceremony starts in twenty minutes!"

"OK!" yelled Grace in reply. "Right. Bouquet? Check. Dress? Check. Make-up? Check. Hair?"

"Double check." remarked Lisbon with a giggle. "You've done my hair about ten billion times. Calm down Grace! You've done a brilliant job." She stepped forward and cupped her hands around Grace's. "Thank you. So much. For everything." She felt a few small tears start to pool in her eyes and she sniffed in an attempt to hinder their path down her cheeks. Grace started flapping again.

"Ooh! Don't cry! You'll smudge your mascara!" A laugh emanated from deep inside her as she watched her friend search quickly for the mascara tube amongst the mountain of blusher, nail varnish, lip gloss and eyeliner. After one final layer, they made their way downstairs to the waiting group of people.

Minnelli was happily snapping away with his camera, determined not to miss a thing during this magical day. Cho was standing, stoic as ever by the front door, but he managed to crack a genuine smile as his boss made her way down the stairs. Rigsby looked rather anxious next to him, but straightened up and smiled when they ladies came into view.

A whole array of familiar faces let out a whoop when the bride was spotted. She looked ethereally beautiful in the delicate white dress that fit her figure perfectly. Hightower shed a few tears of joy like a mother would at her daughter's wedding, Mimi and Will standing proudly and gazing upwards next to her. Leroche smiled a little and nodded affirmatively when she passed.

If someone had said that Lisbon would be marrying her pain-in-the-ass consultant five or six years ago, she probably would have shot them on the spot. The thought made her giggle.

Nevertheless, here she was. Dressed in the traditional white gown with all of her closest friends and family surrounding her. She had never felt happier.

Grace, still nervously fussing over her Boss's appearance straightened the train when they reached the bottom of the stairs and grinned in satisfaction.

On a whim, Teresa turned and hugged her tightly. "Thank you Grace. You're a wonderful maid of Honour. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way." Her eyes reflected the appreciation in her voice and Grace nodded.

"No problem. I'm so glad you asked me!" They parted and turned to smile for a photo together, two best friends on a magical day. "Now! Let's go meet Prince Charming!"

"Yeah." She gazed dreamily into the distance, picturing her soon-to-be husband's glorious smile. Her heart started to hammer inside her chest and with one last sigh of happiness, she stepped into the car.

**A/N: Hope it was all right! :D More to come! :D**


	14. N is for Napkin

**A/N: Again, many thanks to tafkap for the title of this one! :D Big hug! **

**Disclaimer: "**_**Hello, Laura. I'm Bruno Heller." **_

"_**Hello, Mr Heller." **_

"_**Laura, I bring good news." **_

"_**Oh, yeah? What's that?" **_

"_**The Mentalist is yours." **_

"_***GASP!* Really?" **_

"_**No. WAKE UP! *Slaps me round the face*"**_

**GAAAAAHH! Oh, maaaan! Just another dream… :(**__**It's still not mine.**

N is for Napkin

"Well, tonight was fun, guys. But I think I'm gonna crash." Jane stated, stretching his arm above his head. As his top rode up, Lisbon, who was sitting opposite him, caught a glimpse of his stomach. She blushed and choked. Jane awkwardly lent around the table and patted her back.

The other three agents seated at the table watched the scene with raised eyebrows and smirks, all thinking identical thoughts.

When she had stopped coughing, he bade them all a goodnight with a hug or a slap on the back, lingering a little longer on the petite brunette before exiting the restaurant.

"All the more alcohol for us." Exclaimed Rigsby cheerfully. They all laughed and clinked glasses in the centre of the table. As Lisbon placed hers back down, she knocked her napkin with her elbow, sending it fluttering to the floor.

With an 'oops', she leant over to retrieve it. But upon picking it up, she spotted a note on the corner. Curiously, she unfurled the material and read it.

'_Your place._

_7:30 _

_J x'_

She gulped and glanced at her watch. Suddenly comprehending what she was doing, she snatched her wrist away from her face and sat up. Whatever it was he was planning, it would have to wait. She hadn't had a night out in such a long time. This kind of night seldom came for her, since the substantial amount of work she usually had often took up every minute of her free time.

Nope. He would have to be patient for once, she declared to herself. But she was admittedly finding it a little hard to concentrate on anything else. What was he up to?

Nine o'clock came and soon, they were all starting to tire. "I think I'm gonna go now." Said Grace, standing up and collecting her bag from the back of the chair. Rigsby followed suit, evidently keen on escorting her to her car. Cho and Lisbon both supressed smiles and looked knowingly at each other.

"Me too, Boss." Said Cho. "Have a good evening."

"You too. See you tomorrow." She waved. Begrudgingly, she stood and called the waiter over. After paying as she promised the team prior to their arrangement, she left the building.

Her anxiousness suddenly flared up again. What she would find when she got home, she didn't know. But what she did notice however was that the road was becoming increasingly difficult to concentrate on. Had he put a kiss at the end of his message? She stole a glance at the serviette she had kept and immediately her heart started to beat again.

Yes, he had.

What the hell did that mean? It wasn't something that Jane would normally do, and her investigative instincts were kicking in.

She arrived at the apartment soon after quarter past nine. Walking up the driveway, everything seemed relatively normal. She opened the door, expecting him to jump her. But there was nothing. Not even a sound. Finally feeling herself calm down, she kicked off her flats and hung up the coat she had taken but not needed.

Lisbon opened the door to the living room and let out a shriek.

"Jane! What are you doing in my house?"

"You stood me up." He said it as a statement and raised an eyebrow.

"No I didn't!"

"Well, you're late then! I said seven thirty!" he whined, sounding for a second like a stubborn child.

Casually, she crossed her arms. "What, you expected me to leave the only after-work get together I've actually been able to attend in several months early, just to see you after seeing you all day anyway?"

He scowled. "Hey! I resent that! I want to spend some time with you, that's all."

"But you've 'spent time with me' all day, Jane! And what's with leaving secretive little messages on my napkin and signing it with a _kiss_?" Her heart betrayed her and started to race.

"Ooh. I see that the kiss had more of an effect on you than I thought." He waggled his brows suggestively.

"What?"

He laughed. "Your pulse. It just shot up when you mentioned the kiss." She blushed rapidly and looked down, attempting to hide behind her hair. But he walked over to her and brushed it behind her ear. Her skin tingled where he touched her and she shuddered compulsorily. He breathed a laugh at her reaction.

"Why are you here, Jane?" she muttered.

"I already said. I want to spend time with you." She opened her mouth to protest but he cut in. "Alone. Just the two of us." She looked up with large green eyes that twinkled in the dim light of the lamp in the corner.

"Why just the two of us?" she whispered dumbly, not really knowing what else to say. In answer he pulled her into an inescapable hug. He ran his fingers through her hair gently, feeling her relax against him and reciprocate by wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Because I wanted to tell you something."

**A/N: Little bit of a cliffy, but I'll leave the rest to your imagination. ;D Please leave a review! They make me so happy. I kinda need it today. I'm a bit down. Oh, come on! It's Monday! What did you expect? ;D x**


	15. O is for Oak Tree

**A/N: Hmm… I read another story on here that sparked a few ideas in my head. Don't worry, I'm not copying it. ;D It just got me thinking. So, here it is! :D I suppose it could be counted as AU, and it's set in the past basically. :D And I'm sorry for no updates before now. Had a hectic few days.**

**I made up the poem. Forgive me if it's awful. :/ I solemnly swear on everything I own, that I didn't copy it from anywhere. If it bears some resemblance to an existing poem, then it's merely a coincidence.**

**Disclaimer: I own The Mentalist about as much as I like tomatoes. And I really don't like tomatoes. Eugh… :/**

O is for Oak tree

"But mommy…"

"Go on, honey. I need to sit down for a moment. Go play on the swings or something. Don't worry, I'll be right here." The woman laden with shopping bags slumped down onto the wooden park bench and wiped her forehead in the afternoon sun.

Reluctantly, the little girl turned around and crept towards the swing set, hugging her arms to her body and glancing around warily. Once she sat down on the seat, she started to swing her legs back and forth. With annoyance, she noticed that she was barely moving and her legs couldn't reach the floor.

Suddenly, she felt a slight force pushing from behind and the swing swayed forward. She turned to see a small boy, slightly older than her, with curly blonde hair and blue eyes looking back at her. He snapped his hands back and plunged them into his pockets, looking down at the ground sheepishly.

"Um…hello." She whispered shyly. He blushed a gentle shade of pink.

"Hello." His hands dug deeper into his trouser pockets as the girl watched him.

_He's kinda cute, _she thought.

"What's your name?" she asked. He looked up, his large eyes shining with innocence.

"Patrick. Patrick Jane." He looked confused when she giggled. "What's wrong? Is my name funny?"

"Jane! Like, the girl name?" He flushed scarlet, averting his gaze. "I like it." He grinned. "I'm Teresa. Teresa Lisbon." She stated proudly._ Aww! I like his smile. It reminds me of Daddy…_

He looked up, smiling even more brilliantly at the fact that she'd chosen to share her name with him. "You wanna play, Reesa?" he asked somewhat nervously. He drew shapes in the dust with the tip of his shoe.

"TE-resa." She corrected. _That smile is so cute! _

"Sorry."

"Whaddya wanna do?" she asked, dropping off of the swing. He looked around the park, searching for inspiration. His gaze landed on a grand looking oak tree on the other side of the playing field and a mischievous look broke out onto his face.

"Follow me." He reached out and took her small hand, leading her gently towards the tree. When they got there, however, Teresa stopped and stared up at the looming branches with a gasp. He watched her face, pretty green eyes flitting quickly from one branch to the other, her long dark hair swaying gracefully in the gentle summer breeze.

"Oh no. Not an oak tree…" she murmured.

"What's wrong with oak trees?" he asked, effortlessly scaling the side of the vast trunk to reach the first ledge. "They're great for climbing!" He clambered higher and higher, ignoring her squeaks of protest below.

"Patrick! Stop! You're gonna fall! Please, come back down!" He merely smiled down at her and carried on. Suddenly, just as he was about to reach the very top branches, a small sniffling sound reached his ears.

He looked down and saw her, curled up against the ancient body of the tree, roots twisted with age surrounding her.

Uh oh, was she crying?

No. She wasn't crying. She was…singing.

He listened harder, straining his ears, willing them to pick up every word she said.

_Where the fairies play and the green leaves sway;_

_A hiding place for you and me._

_Here we watch the clouds and listen to the wind,_

_In the branches of the old Oak tree._

His eyes widened. He perched on a thick branch that would support his weight and listened intently. He'd never heard anything like this before. Not even from his mother.

_Dancing through the air with a beauty so rare,_

_They tell us of the wild and free._

_Brandishing a cloak of the finest green;_

_The leaves atop the old oak tree._

Slowly, he made his way down, nimbly balancing on even the most precariously thin ledges with ease. All the while, he kept his ears trained on the beautiful voice that swept upwards to greet him.

_Dancing round and round with the flowers on the ground,_

_The wind, it blows 'til I can't see._

_Here we stay together, lying side by side,_

_In the shadow of the old oak tree._

He dropped down beside her and mirrored her position; legs brought up his chest and hands curled tightly around his knees. He picked up an odd note of extreme distress in her frail voice as she barely whispered the final verse.

_We think of ones before us as the animals sing their chorus;_

_A farewell gift for you and me._

_Forever more, I promise, we'll go hand in hand,_

_As we lie beneath the old oak tree._

She coughed nervously and looked at the boy beside her. "It's a sad poem. It's about two people that play in an oak tree all the time. Until, one day, it's windy and they fall out of the tree and get hurt. I don't like people getting hurt…" She paled and rested her forehead on her knee. "My mom always told me off for singing it. I didn't really know what it meant until my Daddy told me. My brother…He fell out of a tree once and he got hurt pretty bad."

Patrick shuffled awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Reesa. I didn't know that…"

"It's alright, Patrick. He's OK now. It's just…I didn't want you to get hurt too!"

He nodded and put his hand on her shoulder in a reassuring gesture. "Don't worry; I won't go climbing too high anymore."

"Good. Hey, where are you from? Perhaps we can meet up again another day?"

In answer, he pointed to the gates that stood at the end of the path to their left. "I'm with the circus."

She gasped and those green eyes of hers widened. "You're in the circus? I love it there! We can play together again soon, can't we? I'll come and visit you every day!"

He shook his head. "I travel around a lot with my Dad. We're only here for another two days." He explained sadly.

Her heart dropped and she looked down. "Oh."

"Teresa! Come on, sweetie, we need to get home." Her mother walked towards her, lugging the bags behind her. "Oh, I see you've made a new friend! That's brilliant, honey."

Teresa jumped up and brushed herself down. "Oh, yes! This is Patrick. I met him today." She gabbled excitedly. Then, she spoke in a whisper. "He's from the circus! How cool is that?"

Her mother smiled at Patrick and he returned it.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs Lisbon." He grinned politely.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Patrick." She playfully nudged Teresa in the ribs with her free elbow and giggled. "Ooh, nice, sweet, AND polite! You two should meet up again someday."

Teresa tugged on her T-shirt. "We can't mom. The circus moves away in two days."

Teresa's mother watched as her daughter's face dropped and what appeared to be a grimace took the place of a once radiant smile.

"Oh dear. Well, I'm sure you two will see each other again one day. You know what they say. Anything is possible."

The two children nodded and looked at each other. They hugged tightly, talking of promises to one day, finish the grand adventure in which they had started.

The young girl waved a sad final goodbye to The Boy with the Golden Smile.

The young boy gazed longingly after The Girl with the Green Eyes.

Neither one suspected that their paths would cross again. Both of them were blissfully unaware that they would finally reunite with the person who had, albeit unknowingly, first captured their heart.

Someday…

**A/N: Kinda long. Not really a 'short', fluffy piece is it? Please tell me your thoughts! :D Adios until next time. That might be today, I don't know. :/**


	16. P is for Paddle

**A/N: Hey, I'm sorry there was only one chapter yesterday to make up for my few days' absence. But guess what? I've got along weekend off school now, so I've got three whole days to catch up. :D Enjoy! X**

**Disclaimer: Je ne possède pas Le Mentalist et je doute que je jamais fait. ('I do not possess The Mentalist and I doubt that I ever does', courtesy of an online translator. ;D I fail at French.) Huh? That isn't quite right…Meh, you get the message. ;D**

P is for paddle

"Why? Why is it always on the beach?" Jane whinged to himself. Lisbon let out an amused sniff and smiled to herself. "I mean, the beach is a beautiful place! Then it gets ruined by this!" He motioned distastefully to the on-going scene before them.

A swarm of CSIs were scurrying around the body of a young teenaged boy. He was draped in seaweed, his eyes, nose and mouth were clogged with blood-stained sand and the gangly limbs which were bent in all the wrong directions stretched out grotesquely across the ground. Jane pushed his hands into his pockets and frowned.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not being disrespectful to the poor boy here or his family and whatnot, but come on! They could at least get him out of here so as to avoid spooking the locals. Look at them, Lisbon!"

He pointed and she followed his finger to the gawking faces of the swelling crowd lined up behind the crime scene tape.

"I know, I know. I understand what you mean." She said gently. "But it's not in my power to take the boy away from here without consent. They're not finished with the body yet and if I so much as raise a finger in protest, we're off this case. No thanks to you."

"Meh." He shrugged, insensible to the copious amount of paperwork she knew would be awaiting her when they returned back to headquarters. "The Father was asking for it." She aberrantly agreed and leant her head to one side.

The pair fell into a companionable silence as they watched the scene unfurl. All the voices mingled into one with the gushing sound of the waves behind them, the cries of the gulls overhead the only intervals in the steady hum of activity. Impatiently, he tapped his foot and dug around in a small patch of sand with the tip of his shoe.

Jane suddenly lurched sideways and gripped her arm, making her flinch considerably. "Come with me. I need to get away from all this." She nodded and side by side, they turned and walked away.

Jane's path took a slant down towards the water's edge and he removed his shoes and his socks and rolled up the bottoms of his trousers. Then he stepped into the water, letting the coolness run around his ankles. The change in temperature made him tremble with a pleasure he seldom felt these days and he let the waves wash away his worries, if only for a few minutes.

He leant his head back, basking in the summer sun and revelling in the glorious company that he heard slosh down into the water beside him. Lisbon sighed, expressing a similar feeling of relief. Jane looked at her and smiled.

This moment was truly magical. He had always thought of her as a city girl. Right now though, she was truly in tune with her surroundings, he could tell. He could see the innocent face of a young girl shining through that impenetrable mask she consistently wore and her posture was incredibly relaxed. The jacket she had unnecessarily brought with her was draped over an arm and her shoes dangled loosely from one finger.

_Wow, _he thought. _Just…wow._

"You know, I always used to go paddling in the sea with my brothers on vacation." She ventured. "We used to have so much fun; building a boat out of sand, having water fights, digging the deepest hole possible...Those were the days." He gazed at her intently, watching her relive her dearest memories and marvelling in the way her eyes lit up.

"Yeah. I used to come to the beach a lot too. I love the ocean. It was our last vacation as a family." Her eyes flickered to him and softened. He was glad to see they didn't reflect the slightest bit of sympathy; just the indisputable look of someone who understood. She knew how he felt. She knew him better than anyone else and would go to hell and back to help him. She had already proven this a hundred times over.

It was one of the many things he would never stop owing her for.

"Thank you, Teresa." he whispered.

"For what?"

"For everything. For being there for me. For helping me. For believing in me and giving advice and support when I need it." He smiled. "And thank you for being you."

"For 'being me'? I'm not really anything special, you know."

He reached out and grasped her hand in an affectionate gesture. He held it tightly and looked her straight in the eye. "You're more special than you'll ever know. Believe me."

They ambled on through the water, leaving the hustle and bustle behind. They remained hand in hand, never once daring to let go.

**A/N: Maybe a little mushy, but I kinda liked it. :D Thoughts? Opinions? Praise and constructive criticism are both welcomed with open arms. x**


	17. Q is for Questions

**A/N: Sorry for the wait again. Will have at least three up tonight/today! Promise! :D**

**Quick note, don't jump to conclusions with the title. ;D Sorry folks.**

**Disclaimer: Not gonna do it in French again. That failed. Epically… *cringe* Anyhoo, The Mentalist is still not mine. Thus I continue my daily praying session! :(**

Q is for Questions

"I'm bored." He exhaled tediously. He felt the woman behind him roll her eyes. Just to be annoying, he carried on. "Like, really bored. More bored than I've ever—"

"Yeah, I get it Jane. You're bored." She cut in, strangely amused. "Why don't you go annoy Rigsby or Van Pelt or something? That's your favourite pastime, right?"

He turned around onto his stomach and looked at her with an unnerving glint in his eye. "You know that's not true, Lisbon."

"Oh? Then what is?"

"Being with you." He winked and she flushed an adorable pink. In turn, his face lit up with sudden inspiration. "Hey! I know what we can do!"

She gulped and looked at him suspiciously. "What? And please don't say a picnic lunch! The last one was a disaster."

"Hey, it was not! I planned it perfectly and so it went perfectly!" he protested.

"Oh really? So being swarmed by seagulls, stung by wasps and then getting excruciating sun burn was 'perfect', was it?"

He shrugged and poked out his bottom lip, pondering other possibilities. "Meh, it could've been worse."

Lisbon let out a soft chuckle. Ever the optimist, Jane had once again worked his unconventional magic on her; resistance to his charms was undeniably futile. Nothing in the world could have prepared her for the consequences that ensued following the day they met. She had fallen hard and fast, regardless of her mammoth efforts to resist the control he seemed to have over her mentality. She prided herself however on the fact that her secret had not yet been discovered. At least, it didn't seem that way.

Each and every time, she would succumb to his irrefutable good looks and the voice that could soften even the coldest of hearts. At times like these, the urge to run up to him and kiss him senseless was enormously overwhelming. Almost impossibly so.

Damn the man…

"What did you have in mind, Jane?" she asked.

"Let's ask each other questions in turn, and we both have to answer them truthfully." He suggested.

"No." she replied outright.

"Why not?" he pouted. "Is it because you 'don't want me inside your head'? Come on, Lisbon! Lighten up. What harm could it honestly come to? It's just a few simple questions! And to put your mind at ease, I swear that whatever we say will be kept confidentially between you and me. OK?"

Yet again, the puppy dog eyes and hopeful smile had wormed their way into her heart and profusely refused to leave her be until she complied. With a huff, she put down her pen and leant forward in defeat.

"Fine. You go first."

He smiled broadly and posed his first question. "Have you ever majorly regretted doing something and if so, what was it?"

Lisbon pursed her lips in contemplation. "Yes. It was at high school. For some reason, I decided to audition for the upcoming theatre production. I had to sing and dance and let's just say it didn't go well." Her face completely flushed crimson and he saw her cringe.

"Wish I'd been there…" he muttered, ignoring the glare she shot him when her head snapped up. "Your go."

"Umm…What's the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you?" she ventured.

He didn't even have to think about that one. He chuckled. "It was when I was with the carnival. We were on our way to San Francisco and we stopped to get more fuel. I went into the gas station and bought about ten candy bars and ate them all before we set of again. Halfway there, I threw up all over the others. After that I was on elephant duty for a month."

"Elephant duty?"

"Yeah. I had to muck out the pen they were kept in, feed them, wash them, you get the gist. It wasn't fun."

"I'll say." She giggled. "Your turn."

"What day has been the best day of your life so far?"

"The day I got this job. It was really special. There's another day that's pretty high up too, but…" She faltered. "Nah, forget it." She waved a hand and scrunched up her nose.

"No, go on." He smiled. "Tell me. Remember: Strictly confidential." He motioned doing up a zipper along his mouth and nodded.

"No, really. You don't wanna know." She smiled nervously.

"Oh, but I do!"

"Nuh uh. I said forget it. I'm sorry I said anything."

He sighed dejectedly. "Fiiiine. Your question." He pretended to listen, but her sudden evasive turn had piqued his interest. She was acting uncharacteristically guarded, even for her! It appeared Miss Lisbon was hiding something, and it amused him that one of his closest acquaintances would even attempt to bypass his natural knack for finding the truth.

"If you could describe your time here at the CBI in one word, what would it be?"

Only putting half of his attention on the game, he stared into space and answered with the first word that came to him.

"Err…Productive."

She frowned. "Are you OK, Jane? We can stop playing if you want."

"No. No, it's fine. Sorry, just daydreaming."

"About what? Elephants?"

"Pft, no. Just…thinking." He grinned.

"Well, I wouldn't put it past you." She said, giving him an odd look. "It's your go, by the way."

Jane let out a small gasping noise as he went to speak. Then he stopped and brought his finger to his lips in a thoughtful manner. She waited expectantly for a few moments until he decided on his next question.

"Forgive me if this is uncomfortable for you, but who have you had the biggest crush on?" He decided to play it safe at first, being discreet with his questions rather than jumping in at the deep end. For that would inevitably earn him a punch in the nose.

He noted that she became tactful when thinking of an answer. But what came to his attention the most was how she was now blatantly avoiding eye contact. Now that was VERY interesting. It was all that he needed of course. There was no requirement for an outright confession at the moment; he would get that later. She was an open book, and he could instantly read all that he wanted to know.

He smirked. Teresa Lisbon had avoided his scrupulously all-seeing eyes. The little minx had fooled him and she'd known it all this time. Perhaps it was time to scrap the ridiculous little habit they had of dancing around one another, constantly running way from what they'd both been feeling all along. He owed it to her to be honest, after all.

"I err…I—Umm…" she squirmed in her seat, still deftly refusing to meet his gaze.

"Confidential, Lisbon. Completely, one hundred per cent confidential. No words shall leave these four walls."

She mumbled incoherently into her hands so that he couldn't hear her answer. "What was that, Lisbon?" he asked, craning his neck towards her. Again, she spoke so quietly, he almost missed it. "Come on, speak up. I can't hear you!" he urged.

"No, I refuse to answer the question." She exclaimed, looking up.

"Ugh." _So much for that plan, _he thought. "Your go, then." He sighed.

"Why did you ask me that question?"

"Because I wanted to know, maybe? This is a productive and informative exercise after all."

She smiled thoughtlessly. "Productive? How does asking me who I like count as productive?"

"It does in my mind." Her smile promptly faded. "And now for my final question."

He stood up and moved over to the front of her desk. "You avoided my last question, but please do me the honour of giving me a straight answer this time." His eyes portrayed a look of potency so forthright, she felt immobilised, stuck to the spot, unable to get away.

Just how he wanted her.

"Teresa Lisbon, do you love me?"

There was no way out. No escape route, no distractions that she could use. She silently screamed to the agents outside for a conveniently timed intrusion. But no matter how long she held off giving an answer, help never came. A reply, it seemed was the only way out of this mess. There was no point being coy. Those days were over.

"Yes."

**A/N: Meh, not my best to be honest, but your opinions are greatly appreciated! :D I also hope it makes up for the lack of updates recently. :/ **

**There WILL be more today. Even if I have to stay up all night. I'm in one of those moods. ;D**


	18. R is for Raffle

**A/N: A random one, I grant you. But I wanted to revert back to the cuter, more subtle ones. :D**

**Disclaimer: As far as I'm concerned, Bruno has no intention of giving it away, unfortunately. So it's not mine. :( Less than three months until my birthday though so fingers crossed, right? :D**

R is for Raffle

He was still a little sour under his mask. He'd wanted that cuddly toy so badly. No, it wasn't for himself. He may have been childish, but that was just a step too far!

No, he had been planning on visiting Charlotte and Angela's graves this weekend and the toy would've been a nice gift for his daughter. Alas, the prize had been taken from under his nose…by none other than Teresa Lisbon.

Had it of been anyone else, he might've been able to strike a somewhat unconventional deal with them. But there was something about a confrontational conversation with her that seemed to be a bad idea. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

He had watched as she walked up to the front to claim her prize, blushing furiously at the prospect of being seen holding a child's toy. He supressed a small grin as he remembered her face.

"_The last remaining prize is this cuddly toy!" explained the CBI receptionist, holding it aloft for all to see. _

_A wave of laughter resounded around the hall as all of those in attendance started to pity the one who would win such a ridiculous thing. The woman on the stage walked over to the tub of identical coloured tickets. Her hand dug around through the sea of names and the crowd drew in a collective breath when she finally selected one._

_It was odd really. Everyone was hell bent on not receiving this prize, through fear of damaging their reputation. Yet Patrick Jane was the exact opposite. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to win the damned teddy bear._

"_The winner is…Teresa Lisbon!" _

_The woman beside him swore and reluctantly walked up the stage. He watched after her wistfully, heavily disappointed._

_Laughter echoed around the room as she took the prize and scurried back to her place at the back of the room. In the dim light, he could see her cheeks glowing red. He only nodded and relief had covered her face after his refusal to laugh at her._

"_Are you OK?" She asked._

"_Yeah. I'm fine." He answered, cringing when he noted a hint of bitterness in his voice. She smiled, seemingly unaffected by his curt reply. He looked longingly at the toy she held in one hand. She frowned to herself and then realised why._

After the fundraiser, he had returned sullenly to the CBI HQ, unwilling to drive all the way back to the motel when he would need to be at work in just less than seven hours.

No doubt, he was being stupid about the whole thing. He had worked himself up into a frenzy over a stuffed toy. He was a grown man for crying out loud, yet here he was moping on the couch about a raffle prize?

"Jane?" He sat up immediately at the sound of her voice. She materialised in the doorway, clutching the very object in her hands. "Jane, are you OK?"

"Yes, I'm fine Lisbon. Why do you ask?"

"You look sad."

"Meh, it's nothing. I'm just being stupid." He watched as she walked over to stand in front of him.

"It's not nothing. I don't like seeing you sad. Here." She held it out and placed it gently in his hand. "You put in a good word for me, yeah?" she smiled.

He didn't say anything. _Couldn't _say anything. Her touching gesture had left him speechless. The words that he so desperately wanted to say wouldn't reach his mouth. Instead, he stood up and enveloped her in a hug. She reacted and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Thank you." He croaked. "Thank you so much. I know it's just a teddy bear, but this is really special." A few betraying tears started roll down his cheeks and she wiped them away. "Charlotte will love it." He whispered.

"Please don't cry. You know, I think I'm a bit too old for those sorts of thing now, don't you?" she smiled.

In turn, he laughed and hugged her harder, unable to convey how truly grateful he was. "You're never too old, Lisbon. That inner child is always there."

She rested her head lightly on his shoulder. "Yeah, I guess it is."

**A/N: Aye, aye, aye. It's all going terribly, terribly wrong…I think I'll call it quits for the night, guys. I know I promised three, but this is ridiculous! I can't think straight, so I'll bid you all sweet dreams, promise to upload at least three tomorrow and then that's me over and out. :D**


	19. S is for Safe and Sound

**A/N: Wahey! Wide awake now, so it should be much better. :D Ha, famous last words…**

**One minor use of strong language here, but nothing too explicit. :)**

**Disclaimer: Nope. It's still not mine. :(**

S is for Safe and Sound

He held her close, crushing her to his chest. There was nothing, absolutely nothing that could make him let go. He had come so close to losing the one person left in the world that he loved. He had been so scared watching her struggle and fight for her life against the monster he had vowed to kill all those years ago.

The bastard had pulled out a gun. And he had aimed it at her head, preparing to pull the trigger, all the while making sure that Jane was watching. If Cho had of arrived two seconds later… All it would have taken was one bullet and she'd be gone, stolen away from him forever.

He ignored the man lying spread-eagled on the floor, spreading a wave of red out across the room from the chest wound. He just didn't matter anymore. Red John had wasted enough of his life as it was. The only thing that mattered now was the woman in his arms.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." He kept whispering it over and over again, rocking her backwards and forwards. Lisbon held him equally as tight, glad to finally have him back. The Jane she knew before, not the cold, distant man he started to turn into whenever Red John was on the scene. _Her _Jane.

"It's OK. It's all OK now." He began to sob and she rubbed his back soothingly, nuzzling into his neck.

"Yes. Yes it is. All OK. You're OK. And I promise Lisbon, I'm going to protect you with my life, I swear. No matter what you say, I'm gonna keep you safe and sound. I love you so much and I can't…I couldn't…" He gripped her tighter, guarding her from all harm. "I can't lose you."

"You won't. I promise." Lisbon said, on the verge of tears herself. She knew that he meant every word. She felt safe in his embrace. Wanted. Loved.

"Safe and sound." He whispered again, as though he was reassuring himself. "Safe and sound."

**A/N: Much, much shorter, but still. Hope you all enjoyed! :D**


	20. T is for Tape Recorder

**A/N: Thank you all for such lovely and supportive reviews! :D You're amazing! The lot of ya! **

**Disclaimer: I am actually running out of things to say for the disclaimer. :/ Umm… I'll just go for the basic for now. I don't own The Mentalist or any of the characters in it.**

T is for Tape Recorder

"I mean, she's amazing, you know? I love her hair, her eyes…I love everything about her!" Jane prattled on to a befuddled-looking Rigsby.

"So…You _like_ her, like her?" he said again, wanting the whole sentence to come out.

"Yes! I love Lisbon more than anything!"

"Then tell her, Jane!" Piped up Grace.

"Oh, come on guys. Why the hell would she like me? I'm a messed up idiot and quite frankly, I've treated her like dirt these past few years. No one in their right mind would go for me."

"Aww, come on man! Don't be too hard on yourself! Have you seen the way she looks at you? Now, I'm not the smartest person at the best of times. But seriously, even I can tell that there's something there." Reassured Rigsby.

"I don't know guys. Maybe I'll take a rain check for now. I don't wanna do anything stupid. That won't end well."

The two agents looked at each other. "Well, OK. But don't take too long, OK Jane? It might not end up as bad as you think." Then they got up and left the bullpen, taking the concealed tape recorder with them.

"Did you get it?" asked Grace anxiously once they were out of ear shot.

He flashed a cheeky smile and pulled out the device from his pocket. "Yep." He pressed the 'stop recording' button with a flourish. "We've got it. Hook, line and sinker." A clap echoed through the hall as they high-fived in success.

Lisbon looked up when there was a knock on the door. Rigsby stepped inside with a rather apprehensive look on his face. "What's wrong, Rigs?" she asked, concerned.

"Umm…Look, this is a little awkward, but can you listen to this? Please?" He held out the tape and she took it gently, putting down her pen in the process. A small click resounded around the office as she pressed the 'play' button before a slightly muffled voice came through.

"_I mean, she's amazing, you know? I love her hair, her eyes…I love everything about her!" _

"_So…You _like_ her, like her?" _

"_Yes! I love Lisbon more than anything!" _

"_Then tell her, Jane!" _

"_Oh, come on guys. Why the hell would she like me? I'm a messed up idiot and quite frankly, I've treated her like dirt these past few years. No one in their right mind would go for me."_

Her eyes widened and before the conversation could continue, she stopped the tape quickly. Rigsby shuffled his feet awkwardly, watching her face.

"Was that…"

"Jane. Yep." He said softly. He was finding it extremely hard to conceal the smile playing at his lips. Suddenly his boss stood up and walked towards the door. "Wh—Where are you going, boss?" he queried, suddenly fearful for the consultant who was sitting just outside.

"I'm… I'm going to tell that pain-in-the-ass that I love him too." She replied nonchalantly, walking right past a dumbfounded and utterly shocked Rigsby.

He wasn't expecting that! The only thing he could do was squeak a very quiet "Wow." And stare at the tape she had left on her desk.

**A/N: Paha, I found this one quite amusing to write for some reason. Maybe because I so badly want something like this to happen on the show… Come on, I can dream can't I? ;D**

**Hope you enjoyed it! xx**


	21. U is for UTurn

**A/N: Whoop, whoop! I'm on a roll! Now, I was meant to do this for S. Like, SUV, but completely forgot about it. So, I've had to write it slightly differently than I originally planned. It shouldn't be too bad though. I hope. Ahaa… just read it already! XD**

**Disclaimer: *To magic eight ball* **

"**Do I own The Mentalist?" **

***shakes it***

'**My sources say no.' **

"**Dang… Will I EVER own The Mentalist?" **

***Shakes it again* **

'**Don't count on it.' **

"**GAH! I give up!"**

U is for U-Turn

"So we just wait here, yeah?" Lisbon asked, looking at the spectacular view before them.

The great expanse of ocean glittered like thousands of tiny floating diamonds as the waves caught the sinking sun's rays. Birds soared gracefully though the air, their backdrop a peachy sky that signalled the slow approach of yet another balmy summer's night. The cliff top that they were currently parked on was a real sun trap; despite the time of day, the heat refused to die down.

Jane nodded. "Yep. Right here. I predict that the murderer will make an appearance here to attend to unfinished business."

"Unfinished business?" she repeated, frowning.

"Ah. All will be revealed soon enough my dear."

"Right." She chuckled. They sat back and listened intently to the distant waves that crashed against the bottom of the cliff, one hundred feet below them. It was then that a disturbing thought occurred to her. "Hey, there's no safety rail at the edge. Someone could walk right off."

"Meh, there's signs up all along that path. You'd have to be blind not to see the drop." He reasoned.

"True." They fell back into silence again and waited. And waited. And waited.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" she asked an hour later.

"Yep. If my calculations are correct."

"Calculations? What calculations?" she scoffed.

"Wouldn't you like to know." He smirked.

"I do want to know. Come on, Jane. What have I told you about—"

There was a loud clang and she stopped mid-sentence. They glanced at each other nervously.

"What was that?" they said in unison.

"Wait… Is it just me, or are we rolling forward?" he asked quietly.

"DON'T SAY THAT!" she shrieked.

"No, I'm serious! I think we're rolling forwards!" he said, panicked. Lisbon looked out of the window and saw that they were indeed moving forward alarmingly fast.

She started screaming and cursing when she found that the door was locked. "Why the hell is it locked? I didn't lock it when I got in!"

"Neither did I!" he shouted, barging the door with his shoulder in a vain effort to get out. It dawned on him to try the handbrake. He tugged it backwards fiercely but it didn't do a thing. "Someone's messed with it outside!" he hollered. "It's jammed!"

"Keep trying!" she yelled back, trying to get the key in the ignition whilst being jostled about by the bumpy path. The edge of the cliff was getting closer and closer and her heart beat grew louder and louder. She heard him grunt with exertion as he kept trying to pull it back. The he stopped and turned to her. "Don't stop! Keep trying!" she shouted.

"Lisbon." She half listened to him as she continued to jab with her key, missing every time. "Teresa, I love you. This might not be the best time to say so, but—"At that moment, she managed to get the key into the ignition and turned it.

"Y—you do?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes. I do. More than anything."

The engine decided to roar to life at that moment and with all the strength she could muster, she yanked the wheel around to the right, doing a perfect U-turn and driving away from the edge just at the right time. They both cried out at the sharp swerve and then collapsed in relief when the car reached flat ground.

"Oh my God." She breathed, shaking. He touched her hand.

"Are you OK?"

"Y—yeah. I'm fine. You?"

"Yeah."

They sat breathing heavily for a moment, trying to regain their composure.

"No need for a guard rail, huh?" she scowled.

"Mmm…"

Her face softened. "Hey, did you mean that? What you said?"

He looked at her intensely. "Yes. Yes I did. Kind of awkward now though, don't you think? I thought we were gonna die!" He flushed pink a little and looked out of the front window, avoiding eye contact.

"Yeah. Me too. But I'm glad we didn't. For more reasons than one."

"Hmm?"

"Well, for starters, I don't exactly want to die yet. But also, I wouldn't have been able to say that I love you too."

**A/N: *Cringes* A little cheesy. Meh, it could be worse! XD Three in one night! Yay! **


	22. V is for Van Pelt

**A/N: AH! Sorry for the wait, folks! My fault. I let stuff get in the way and…yeah. I apologise. :/ Hope to get this finished by tomorrow! :D**

**Anyways, I was watching episode ...I think it was three, of season 4 earlier and I noticed that when Jane and Lisbon are bantering, as per usual, Van Pelt kinda looks at them like 'Yeah. Just as I thought.' Plus, in other episodes she's been in a scene with them and she just watches the whole thing with a weird smile on her face. So, I thought it would be a good thing to look into. :D **

**Sorry for a long a/n, too! **

**Disclaimer: The internet clearly states that the name of the owner of The Mentalist is Bruno, not Laura. -_- I say no more… UGH! **

V is for Van Pelt

She watched over her laptop, scrutinising each and every movement either one of them made. A sly smile here, a lingering touch there. The signs were right in front of them all; it just seemed that Van Pelt was the only one that could truly see them.

She was an unquestionable romantic at heart. There was nothing she liked more than sitting down and getting lost in a mushy love story.

She always did like to play Cupid at high school. She took pride in helping the long line of girls and boys that came to her to find a way to win the heart of their crush. Not only was it quite amusing and interesting to see how versatile the types of couples were, but with it came a sense of accomplishment.

It was because of her many years of 'practise' that she'd developed a real knack for spotting the best pairings. No one knew of her talent of course, but she could tell at a mere glance which two people would go well together and so on.

Right now, fireworks were erupting behind Grace's eyes and a squeal bubbled up inside of her. Her intermediary senses went into overdrive as she observed the Agent and the Consultant banter about anything and everything, setting the world to rights. Suddenly, Lisbon laughed and Jane joined in.

_Yup, _she thought. _There it is._

Sparks went flying through the air like a real and tangible thing. She listened to their voices and smiled discreetly as their matching grins resounded in the tones with which they spoke. She found it disconcerting yet adorable how it seemed that neither one had an inkling as to what was really there.

"Oh, come on! That's not fair! You don't see me stopping you from consuming that God-awful green tea you often drink, do you? So why stop me drinking coffee?" she whined. Grace watched as Jane's eyes quickly flickered to her lips and back up to make eye contact again.

_Wow. Oh, wow. _

"Because my dear," Grace inwardly squealed at his term of endearment. "Coffee is bad for your wellbeing if you consume it excessively. And it's come to my attention that you drink _waaay _too much of the stuff, hence why I'm making you cut back. And by the way, green tea isn't a 'God-awful' thing; it's highly refreshing and good for your health."

"Unlike coffee?" she sighed irritably.

"Unlike coffee." He confirmed, nodding his head.

The two were so like-minded at times, yet different as chalk and cheese at others. How two people such as themselves, who were usually so cunning, witty and assertive, could suddenly be so naïve, she honestly didn't know. Both were so different in their own ways, yet so in synch it was almost scary.

In Grace's eyes, they were the perfect match for each other. Some people might disagree and say that it couldn't be further from the truth. However, she knew these things. Both were broken, left shattered and traumatised by their pasts. Maybe they'd work something out, find a way to fix each other and find a new source of comfort in one another.

The thought made her smile spread further across her face, lighting up her corner of the bullpen.

"What's gotten you so happy?" asked Rigsby from his desk. She shrugged, eyes fixed on her computer screen.

"Nothing. Just…thinking."

Van Pelt stole one last glance in their direction and leant back upon realising they were making their way towards the elevator. She hummed as her thoughts whirred around inside her head. She counted down from twenty and then stood. After making her way over to the window, she looked out.

Down in the parking lot, just as she suspected, Jane and Lisbon left in separate cars but both went the same way. She knew for a fact that Lisbon had to turn right to get home. Grace leant against the wall and sighed happily, those matchmaking instinct already making themselves felt.

"Finally."

**A/N: I feel it's a little rushed, but hey ho. Please leave a review! Good or bad, it's all greatly appreciated! I'm always trying to improve! :D**


	23. W is for Worried

**A/N: And so, the final countdown begins. (It's the final countdoooown! Dunanaaaana, nananananaaaa…) Ahem, yeah. We're into the final four chapters. It's the sad, final home-stretch that I've been dreading. Still, it's not over yet! :D Enjoy! X**

**I'm in a sing-y mood, so…**

**Disclaimer: '**_**Where has all my good luck gone and what does my future hold? **_

_**Where's the dream I used to have in a story I once told? **_

_**Isn't there a small chance that someday it could be? **_

_**Until that day I hope and I pray 'cos it don't belong to meeee! **_

_**I need a hero! (Dun, dun!) I'm holding out for a hero as I think and I write! **_

_**It better come quick 'cos I'm typing so fast that my keyboard's about to ignite!**_

_**I need a hero! (Dun, dun!) I'm—'**_

**Yeah, OK. That's enough. You get my point. -_-**__

W is for Worried

"Jane, where the hell are you?" she hollered down the phone. "You've been gone for hours now! I'm serious, if you have any intention of seeing tomorrow, I suggest get your butt back here NOW!" She jabbed the 'end call' button savagely and abruptly ended her seventeenth message.

Jane had been gone for the last five hours after saying he'd only be gone for ten minutes. But as always, he had left Lisbon wishing that she had kept an eye on him. At least she'd know if he was alright or not. Truth be told, she was anxious. Incredibly so. And his refusal to answer her phone calls were making her ill at ease to say the least.

He wouldn't respond to any of the team's attempts at communication and he had caused a whirlwind of chaos in the office. Their case had been put on hold temporarily and the family were not happy at all. Because of his disappearance, the team were up to their eyeballs in trouble and paperwork.

The obnoxious pain-in-the-ass had done it again.

Emotionally drained, she leant forward and rested her forehead in her hands. The urge to scream was immensely strong, but she refrained from doing so. He would pay when he got back. The moment he chose to show his smug little face, she decided, he would get it.

All around her was a flurry of movement and a drone of serious voices sharing leads, telling of various sightings, offering awkward words of comfort. She shut her eyes and thought. Where would he have gone? What would he be doing that took five hours?

She felt her anger levels rise. _Five hours. FIVE HOURS! And he hasn't even bothered to call me!_

To her surprise, she felt something touch her cheek. Her hand went to her face and came away wet. She swallowed a gasp and blinked to stop the tears she could tell were going to follow. Teresa Lisbon never cried. Except on the odd occasion.

The worried feeling inside her felt alien. It was something she seldom felt these days and its unfamiliarity scared her somewhat. The anger was fading and was being replaced by a horribly dull ache somewhere in the vicinity of her chest. Her heart she guessed, straining from the relentless waves of adrenaline and panic.

"Come on, Jane. Where are you?" she whispered to herself. As if on cue, Van Pelt's voice beside her piped up, shrill and disbelieving above the hubbub.

"There he is!"

Lisbon's head snapped up and her eyes rested upon his figure that had materialised in the doorway. The noise dropped instantly and every pair of eyes were locked onto him.

"Umm…Hi, everybody? What's going on?" he stuttered, unnerved by the sea of faces all looking in his direction. The only answer was a deafening silence as he scanned the people that were dotted around the room. Suddenly, Lisbon jumped up and grabbed his arm so forcefully that he yelped in pain. "Whoa! What's up, Lisbon?" She dragged him towards her office and slammed the door shut behind them. The crowd were left to mutter begrudgingly amongst themselves outside. Several people curiously leant against the glass in a vain attempt to eavesdrop the confrontation.

"Where the hell have you been?" she yelled crossly, clenching her fists at her sides.

He held up his hands in an innocent gesture. "Jeez! Calm down! I've only been out into the town!"

"But you were gone for FIVE HOURS! And we've been trying to call you for ages! You never answered!"

"OK! OK! Easy, Teresa." He watched as her eyes flickered away from his face, reflecting a look of hurt and fear he had never seen before. "Look at me. I'm sorry." He put one had under her chin and brought her eyes back up to his again. "I really am. I just went into the town. That's all."

"For that long?" she mumbled.

"I had to get something important and it had to be right. It wasn't the easiest thing to find."

"What could you possibly have been looking for that was so elusive it took the great Patrick Jane _five freaking hours _to find?" she shot back, the panic of the day's events slowly ebbing away. It was replaced with an overwhelming sense of relief that made the tears flare up again.

"Ah. Now that would be telling."

"Jane, I'm serious. You leave for that long, send the whole place into a frenzy, make us put a very important case on hold, ignore the hundreds of calls and texts we've sent you, come back as if nothing has happened, don't say a word in apology and then refuse tell me where you've been? Excuse me if I'm sounding too intrusive here!"

Unintentionally, she let the tears start to run down her cheeks and he put his hands on her shoulders. "Teresa, please don't cry." It hurt, physically hurt to see her in such a state. He pulled her into a gentle embrace, feeling her body faintly tremble in his arms.

"I was so worried." She whispered.

"You were worried about _me_?" he asked softly. He felt her nod. "Why?"

"Because." She said simply. He didn't probe any further. She sniffed and gripped two fistfuls of his vest, clinging on. "Don't ever do that to me again, you jackass. Next time, answer your damn phone." She felt him smile somewhere above her.

"I was only looking for your birthday present."

"Birthday present?"

"Uh, yeah. Don't tell me you forgot your own birthday was coming up!"

"Hey, I got a little side tracked!" she said accusingly.

"Mmm…I'm sorry. Come on, cheer up. I'm back now, aren't I? Right as rain."

She sighed. "OK, but please just tell me if you're gonna be any longer than you planned beforehand!"

"Alright. I promise I'll tell you. I just find it intriguing as to why you were so worried."

"Never you mind." She whispered.

**A/N: Maybe a little OOC, but tell me what you think. I like worried Lisbon and I hope to see more of it on the show. Along with more worried Jane, of course. ;D **


	24. X is for X Marks the Spot

**A/N: X is kind of a hard one to think of a storyline for. Title is kinda simplistic, but there you go. ;D Enjoy folks! X**

**Disclaimer: Even though he's not a real psychic, Patrick Jane could easily say whether or not I do or ever will own The Mentalist. It's not exactly rocket science. ;D **

X is for X Marks the Spot

"I hate orienteering exercises." Lisbon moaned as they walked along the leaf-strewn path. "I mean, how is trekking through a forest and finding clues going to help us catch criminals?"

The man beside her laughed. "I don't know. You tell me."

"Don't you think this is stupid, Jane?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I agree with you when you say it won't help us catch bad guys, but come on. It's a cathartic activity. One that you could benefit from greatly, might I add."

She scoffed as she wrestled with the map that was almost as large as her when opened up fully. "Why for me in particular?"

"Well, it's good to do something different for a change. Rather than going home and gorging on chocolate ice cream and watching TV all day, you get to spend your weekend with your best friend and getting fresh air." He meant for the 'best friend' comment to bring on that adorable rosy blush he loved. But she was too preoccupied with the map to really notice.

He sighed in annoyance. Typical. Most of the time, he always backed out of telling her the truth from nerves. But when he finally worked up the courage to tell her something, she either never heard him or he was always interrupted.

He watched her struggle with the large sheet of paper, grunting in an effort to stretch her arm span far enough to hold the edges. A vibrant smile lit up his face. She was so adorable, he just wanted to scoop her up and kiss her with everything he had. Of course, she'd probably shoot him, but nevertheless, he vowed he would tell her his true feelings at some point on this trip. No matter what.

"I think we need to go left here." She said when they reached a fork in the path. He frowned and glanced at the map.

"No, we need to go right." He chuckled.

"Oh? Why's that? Tha map clearly shows that—"

He took the map gently from her hands and turned it a hundred and eighty degrees. She blinked as he handed it back to her, smiling from ear to ear. For a few moments, she merely stood and stared and then cleared her throat.

"Erm, yeah. Let's go right." She began walking and he followed, chuckling lightly. "Yeah, very funny." She said sarcastically but with a smile. "Hey, Geography wasn't my strong point!"

"Meh, don't worry about it. Lucky you've got me though, isn't it!" he gently nudged her with his elbow.

"Hah! Don't count on it." She grinned, reading the map as she went along. "We need to find a bridge next apparently."

He nodded. "Come on, admit it. You need me. If I weren't here, you'd be lost by now and you'd probably lose the race too."

She shrugged. "Hmm. I guess so."

"So you need me?" he asked hopefully.

"Wait, say what? I didn't say that!"

His shoulders dropped and he looked down. "Ah, never mind."

She raised an eyebrow and then glanced at the trail ahead of them. "Hey, look!" She pointed. "There it is!"

Thirty metres along the path was a dainty looking bridge spanning across a fast flowing river. Lisbon walked up to it and examined the map again. Jane looked around, admiring the scenery. Down on the river back, he spotted a beautiful patch of wild flowers and took the opportunity to creep down to the water's edge. He picked them, staying out of sight.

She traced her finger along the path and stopped. She tapped the paper in the designated spot.

"X marks the spot." She breathed. "We're nearly there, Jane. Let's—Jane?" She turned to find him gone. He was nowhere in sight and she felt her heart suddenly increase in speed. "Jane? Where are you? This isn't funny!"

There was no reply and she peered through the trees all around her, trying to get a glimpse of his blue backpack or a flash of blonde hair. Suddenly a twig snapped behind her and she turned around at lightning speed.

She was met by a bunch of pretty wild flowers and a shy smile from the man in question. "Oh my God!" she exhaled sharply, letting her arms fall to her sides.

"No, just Jane would do. Or Patrick. Either one is fine." He smiled.

"Don't do that! You scared me for a minute." She glanced down at the flowers. "Wh-what are those?"

He stretched out his hand even further, waiting for her to take them. "For you."

At that moment, her face began to glow crimson and she took them, avoiding meeting his eyes. "Umm…Thank you. They're beautiful." A smile appeared on her face. He watched her, entranced as her fingers stroked the delicate lilac petals.

"So are you." His eyes widened and he stuttered but it was too late. She had heard him.

"You what?" she said dumbfounded. A staring contest followed, accompanied by a _very _awkward silence.

"I…err…" He couldn't cover up this one with a witty comment or a dazzling smile, so he looked down at the ground.

"That was…really sweet." She whispered.

He shrugged. "It's the truth. I've…I've been trying to tell you for a while now…But I never seemed to have the courage."

Without warning, she reached up on her tip toes and planted a small kiss on his cheek. "I'm glad you did." All of a sudden, she felt like a nervous school girl talking to her biggest crush. Not knowing what else to do, she enveloped him in a hug.

He reciprocated enthusiastically and then caught sight of the map. "Hey, we'd better hurry up, or we'll lose the race. We have to get to the X otherwise—"

"Screw the race. Screw the X. It doesn't matter if we lose. It's just a stupid activity. We've probably lost anyhow and we'll say we got lost." She smiled and he did likewise. "This is long overdue."

"Indeed it is, my dear." He kissed the top of her head lovingly. "Indeed it is."

**A/N: INDEED IT IS BRUNO! ;D This one doesn't make any darn sense does it? Still, leave a review and tell me what you think! :D I'm determined to get this finished by tonight. The last two chapters should be better because the letters are easier! XD**


	25. Y is for Yin and Yang

**A/N: Two left. NOOOO! I won't keep rambling; I'll just let you read it. :D Enjoy. X By the way, (mainly just to remind myself) Yin is represented by the black side and Yang is represented by the white side. :)**

**Disclaimer: Can penguins fly? Do Cats have thumbs? Can humans breathe under water? Do I really have to go on? XD **

Y is for Yin and Yang

"I'm sorry for the interruption, Mrs Wan." said Lisbon apologetically. She smiled feebly at the Asian woman. "Thank you for your co-operation."

"Oh, it's no problem, Agent! Really, it's nothing. Anything to help with the case, I'm happy to do whatever you need me to do." The woman nodded. She regarded both Jane and Lisbon with gentle eyes and a smile.

Jane politely shook her hand as a gesture of appreciation and turned towards the door. They made to leave but were stopped by Mrs Wan's voice.

"Hang on, you two." They looked at her. "Now, I apologise for any intrusion here, but…" She walked over to a small desk and opened the top drawer. She pulled out two objects wrapped delicately in white cloth. "I think that you two could put these to better use than I can. They belonged to my great grandmother and they've been passed down through many generations. However, I have no children, so who am I to pass them on to now? I couldn't bear to see them in irresponsible hands." The woman walked over to them and placed one in Lisbon's hand and the other she gave to Jane. "Think of them as gifts for all the help and support you've given me in these hard times."

Lisbon looked curiously at the small package. "Umm…Thank you, Mrs Wan. We'll be in touch." The pair turned and left with one last nod. The woman watched them leave from her front porch and then closed the door, smiling to herself as she fondly recalled the memories associated with the gifts she had given. It gave her great pleasure to know that they were indeed in capable hands.

Once they were in the car, Jane and Lisbon simultaneously unwrapped their packages with care. Lisbon let out a small gasp and Jane just sat and stared.

Both of them held in their hands one half of a Yin Yang medallion that, when held together, would make up the full symbol. Lisbon admired the ancient yet well looked after trinket, holding it gently in and focusing on not dropping it. Jane traced the edges of the white pendant, remembering what the symbol meant.

"It's…beautiful." She gushed, gazing at the elegant, black sign. He nodded in agreement.

"Lisbon."

"Yeah?"

"Do you know what these symbols mean?"

"Umm…No. Not really. I know they're an important symbol to certain cultures but…"

"They represent the balance between negative and positive. They show that everything is made up of two equal parts and you can't have one without the other. For instance, you can't have just light or just darkness. Just the sun or just the moon. Everything has to be equal because too much of one is considered a bad thing."

She raised an eyebrow in fascination. "But why would she give us these? I don't get it."

"Well…" She picked up on his hesitation and watched him expectantly. "They're also thought to represent the two halves of a relationship. The female half, which is Yin," he pointed to the black pendant in her palm. "And the male half which is Yang." He held out his hand, putting it next to hers.

"A…relationship?" her voice had dropped to a whisper. They sat and admired them for a moment, chaotic thoughts darting through their minds. "Does she think we're in a relationship?"

"I don't know. Either that, or she thinks we should be in one."

Lisbon chortled next to him. "Really? Us?" He shrugged and her smile faded. "I…I—"

"I don't know what she meant by this exactly," he said, holding up his half. "But I do know one thing."

"Oh?" she whispered, her voice breaking a little. "What's that?"

He closed his eyes for a second, clinging onto the emblem.

"I definitely couldn't carry on without you." He looked up, meeting her eyes. They displayed such raw emotions that momentarily, she couldn't breathe. "I wouldn't even be hereif it weren't for you. I guess this equality stuff is true. I wouldn't have been able to do anything on my own. I'd still be the cold, broken man I was before if it weren't for you. You've changed me. For the better. You've helped me through so much these past few years and I honestly…I don't—" His voice fell to an almost incoherent whisper. "I need you, Lisbon."

_Bam! _Just like that, her heart skipped and the tears pooled in her eyes. She sniffed, trying and failing to hold them back. Jane flashed the tiniest of smiles and breathed a ragged sigh. He wasn't used to displaying his feelings to her so honestly. In fact, it took his breath away at how alien, yet how easy it felt to pour his heart out to her.

They watched each other, green eyes meeting blue and hearts matching in pace. Then, she placed her half of the pendant next to Jane's in his hand, fitting them together to complete the whole picture. She curled his fingers around it and rested her small hand over his, holding it gently.

"I need you too. I promise, I'll always be here for you, no matter what."

"Thank you, Teresa." He opened his hand and stole a glance at the completed emblem, feeling several warm tears slide down his cheeks. "Thank you so much."

**A/N: Sorry if I got any of the facts wrong! I did do some brief research on it, but I take full responsibility for any factually incorrect parts. Hope you all enjoyed it! :D Last chapter next! :O**


	26. Z is for Zachariah

**A/N: Oh my God, you have no idea how much I have wanted to do this chapter! I've had an idea rattling around in my head for aaaages now and it wouldn't leave me alone! I think xxmentalistxxspooksxx will take the reins once more after this. :D Hope you all enjoy the last chapter of Alphabet of Fluff of the Fourth Kind!**

**Disclaimer: It's not my birthday yet, but I live in hope! PLEEEEEAAAASE! Or at least make something happen between Jane and Lisbon! But nothing too serious. Maybe just a hug? Is that really too much to ask? :)**

Z is for Zachariah

"N—No…Please…Lemme go…" she mumbled, tossing and turning. She flung her arm over her head, shielding herself from an invisible threat. She started to howl, louder and louder. "NO! NO, LET GO!"

Outside, Jane jolted awake at the sound of an ear-splitting scream echoing around the bullpen. He sat bolt upright and listened.

"NO! PLEASE! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

There it was again. There was only one person capable of making that sound. He sprung up and sprinted faster than he ever had before, ramming her office door open and clenching his fists, ready to strike whoever was attacking her. "Lisbon! What's—"

He froze at the sight of her, curled up vulnerably on the couch, thrashing her arms out to ward of the assailant of her nightmare. He sighed in utter relief and walked over to her.

The shadow grew around her, swallowing her in in an endless blackness she just couldn't run away from. His eyes—or rather, empty eye sockets, bore into hers, evil and haunting and utterly terrifying. Her throat was closing up, suffocating her, taking her energy as she fought against the impenetrable force holding her down.

The people around them simply stood and watched, laughing and jeering and cheering Zachariah on. They made no effort to stop the monster that was intent on crushing her to death.

Everywhere around her was blood. Dark red and staining everything it touched. It dripped from the trees that reached their skeletal fingers towards the sky. It flowed up through the soil from an unknown source. Endless red torrents fell from the sky, cascading her with a crimson shower. It filled her lungs, denying her air. She gasped and coughed, fighting with everything she had.

The earth beneath her feet was sticky and restricting. Her voice wouldn't co-operate; no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make a single sound. No one was coming. No one was there to help her. All she could do was close her eyes and pray. Pray for the nightmare to end.

"Jane…Help me…" she whispered.

Cold, earthy hands sprung from the ground, gripping her wrists and her feet. They clamped down on her throat, mercilessly stopping the air reaching her lungs. She struggled for oxygen, her head about explode. Her eyes slowly closed, giving up. This was it. The darkness was coming. Slowly…Slowly…

She gasped and sat upright, shrieking as a blast of air finally reach her lungs. He was there, holding her, rocking her back and forth and whispering calming words in her ear. She leant into his chest, shaking and shivering in the coldness of her office. His strong arms around her sent a wave of calm over her and she gripped his vest with both hands like a small child.

"It's OK, Teresa. It was just a nightmare." He soothed. "What happened?"

"Zachariah… He got me…" she whispered. Then she shook her head. "No. Just a dream."

"Yep. That's right. Just a silly dream." He kissed the top of her head like he used to with his daughter. "Zachariah's just a story, Lisbon. He isn't going to hurt you. And if he ever does, I'll be there to stop him. You know that right?" he smiled softly.

"Yeah. Thank you, Jane."

"Any time." He got up to leave but she caught his arm.

"Stay with me?" Her wide eyes made her look so small and fragile that he obliged straight away.

"Of course. Scoot over."

She shimmied over to one end of the couch so he could sit down next to her. She leant into his embrace and they fell asleep in each other's arms with no signs of any kind of nightmare ever returning.

**A/N: Ta da! You know, I was tempted to write 'and they lived happily ever after' at the end. But that's a little cliché don't you think? ;D Until next time, Adios Amigos! :D**


End file.
